Malachy McReynolds, the chair of regional alternative finance lender SWIG Finance, is to step down in March after five years in the role. He will be replaced by Christine Allison, a former lead economist for the World Bank, who has been a non-executive director of SWIG Finance for the past three-and-a-half years. During that...
The latest lockdown will be another “body blow” to Bath firms, coming after the uncertainty caused by Brexit and lost trade in the run-up to Christmas, the region’s biggest business group has warned. Business West, which runs Bath Chamber of Commerce, said firms that had survived so far with Covid-related support from the government...
Specialist pharmaceutical firm Vectura has boosted its board with the appointment of two new independent non-executive directors. Jeanne Hecht and Jeanne Thoma took up their roles at the Chippenham-based firm, which develops inhalable dry-powder drugs that treat lung conditions such as asthma, emphysema and chronic bronchitis, on December 31. Jeanne Hecht was most recently...
The South West CBI has called for a rethink of government support for businesses hit by Covid-related restrictions ahead of much of the region going into higher tiers – including Bath and North East Somerset – from midnight tonight. Bath and North East Somerset along with Wiltshire will move into Tier 3, dealing a...
Business West, the region’s largest business organisation, is aiming to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2030 and has introduced three new steps to help it – and firms across the South West – reach the ambitious target. The organisation, which runs Bath Chamber of Commerce and the Bath & North East Somerset Initiative...
More than two-thirds of high-growth firms in the South West plan to continue to expand next year after adapting for a post-Covid world, new research shows. According to the first survey to chart these businesses during the coronavirus pandemic it has created significant barriers to growth for 58% of South West firms, with operational...
The chairman of Somerset-based luxury fashion brand Mulberry today insisted it had a bright future as a standalone business after Mike Ashley’s Fraser Group pulled out of talks to take it over. Frasers, formerly known as Sports Direct, said last month it was considering a bid for Mulberry – best known for its much-sought-after...
Just 2% of the South West’s small to medium-sized manufacturers think Brexit will have a positive impact on their recovery, while more than half admit they still cannot predict how the transition out of the EU will affect their business. And with the UK-EU talks entering their final hours with no sign of a...
Shares in defence manufacturing group Avon Rubber continued to fall today after it confirmed delays to two major US military contracts could hit its financial results. The Melksham-headquartered group yesterday said approvals for protective gear ordered by the US Defense Logistics Agency and the US Army had been postponed due to a testing failure. ...
University of Bath MBA students have worked with the Bath Unlimited initiative to support it in developing its strategy, with their research underlining the city’s strong quality of life, its support for business start-ups and the strength of its financial and defence sectors. Bath Unlimited was launched in October to support the economic development...
