Manufacturers put their money behind productivity programmes June 28, 2015 THE VAST majority of UK manufacturers are picking up the pace of investment, according to a new survey out today. The survey of 750 UK businesses with a turnover of £2m to £25m was carried out by Lombard Asset Finance for EEF, the manufacturers’ organisation. Seventy-one per cent of manufacturers surveyed said that they felt [...]
Professional salaries jump amid scramble for the brightest talent June 28, 2015 Demand for professional staff climbed strongly in May, with sharp growth in both job vacancies and average salaries. Professional recruitment firms had 13 per cent more jobs on their books than in May 2014, the Association of Professional Staffing Companies (Apsco) said today. Opportunities were up the most across IT, engineering and finance with year-on-year [...]
July Budget 2015: Small business group wants tax reform June 28, 2015 British small businesses are calling on chancellor George Osborne to reform and simplify the tax system in next week’s emergency budget. The Federation of Small Businesses (FSB) has asked the government to “widen the scope of reform to radically simplify the tax system and improve incentives to encourage investment”. The small business group praised the [...]
Hilco Capital steps in to lead hat maker Tilley Endurables’ growth June 28, 2015 RETAIL restructuring specialist Hilco Capital has bought Canadian travel hat maker Tilley Endurables and plans to bring the brand into new global markets. Tilley, founded in 1980 by Alex Tilley, is known for its Tilley hat, a cotton hat popular among sailors, hikers and fishermen. The company employs over 200 people across its manufacturing, wholesale [...]
Six Degrees to buy Capital Support Group June 28, 2015 SIX DEGREES Group has bought Docklands-based IT group Capital Support Group (CSG) in the first acquisition for the group since its takeover by private equity firm Charlesbank Capital Partners. CSG offers cloud and IT services to hedge funds private equity investment managers and has a staff of about 130 people. Terms of the deal were [...]
Spotify make alt-Glasto line-up June 28, 2015 THERE was a lot of controversy around this year’s Glastonbury line-up – and that was even before Kanye West’s defiant Saturday night performance on the main stage. While some were happy to see folkish singer Florence and the Machine replace the Foo Fighters to headline on Friday, others had petitioned against Kanye being there at [...]
TM Lewin plots management buyout deal with US investor June 28, 2015 SHIRTMAKER TM Lewin has enlisted the help of an American private equity company to back a £100m management buyout of the business. The retailer’s management team, led by chief executive Geoff Quinn, is understood to be close to striking a deal with Sankaty Advisors, an affiliate of Bain Capital, to buy the 20 per cent [...]
Fever Tree does can cans for supermarkets June 28, 2015 UPMARKET drinks company Fever-Tree has stepped up its retail presence by launching mixers in can format on supermarket shelves for the first time today. The 10 year-old business, which supplies mixers for alcohols to retailers, hotels and bars, said its Naturally Light Tonic Waters will be available to buy in packs of eight 150ml cans [...]
First-time buyers suffer from cuts to higher loan-to-value lending June 28, 2015 THE HIGH loan-to-value (LTV) end of the mortgage market is in decline, according to figures published today by insurance firm Genworth and comparison site Moneyfacts.co.uk. The value of loans with a 95 per cent LTV ratio, where 95 per cent of the value of a property is borrowed, dropped by £147m year-on-year during the first [...]
London stock market flotations outpace FTSE 100 performance June 28, 2015 NEWLY listed companies have performed marginally better than the FTSE 100 benchmark so far this year, according to a half-year roundup of initial public offerings (IPO). The 16 floats this year (see right) have returned 17.8 per cent on average, according to Deloitte, 18.4 percentage points ahead of the FTSE 100. It means £1,000 invested [...]
