Business News

The construction industry needs to capitalise on the collaborative atmosphere created by this year’s MIPIM in order to meet the key challenges it faces, according to Andrew Carpenter, chief executive of Constructing Excellence Midlands. Speaking in the wake of this year’s event – which was attended by more than 20,000 delegates from around the world – Carpenter says that while a collaborative spirit is alive and well in Cannes, it risks being wasted if not capitalised on at home.

The Scottish Government has launched a new retail strategy, which aims to encourage fair work and improve skills in the sector. Usdaw, the trade union for retail, has been involved with the Scottish Government’s Steering Group, ensuring that the views and concerns of Scotland’s 240,000 retail workers were heard in the formulation of the strategy.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is showing its commitment to helping residents and businesses through the global energy crisis, with several initiatives aimed at reducing carbon emissions and slashing ever increasing energy bills.

The region had already been experiencing high levels of fuel poverty before Covid and the Ukraine crisis, and with energy prices expected to continue to rise for households in the months ahead the WMCA’s Energy Capital team has been focusing on securing government funding for new initiatives that could help lessen the impact.

Exhibiting at The National Homebuilding & Renovating Show (24-27 March) at the NEC, Birmingham on stand C133, the specialist manufacturer, which holds the prestigious Queen’s Award for Enterprise, says it is only fitting that a Stiltz product has been chosen by the Royal Family. Stiltz is a proudly British business, and it is an honour to know The Queen can now benefit from independent access between floors today, and in the future.

XPO Logistics, Inc., a leading provider of freight transportation services, has been named a Supplier of the Year by General Motors in the transportation category. XPO is among a prestigious group of suppliers recognized by GM executives for outstanding performance in 2021.

This is the fourth consecutive year that XPO has been honoured as a GM Supplier of the Year.

Businesses in Greater Birmingham will feel “a huge sense of frustration” after the Chancellor’s Spring Statement failed to tackle deep-seated issues.

The measures announced by Rishi Sunak included a cut in fuel duty by 5p a litre until March, 2023; a reduction in the basic rate of income tax from 20p to 19p in the pound; and the point at which people start paying National Insurance will rise to £12,570 in July. But business leaders remained disappointed that the Chancellor did not go further.

On addressing needs of the poorest, Dr Aveek Bhattacharya, Chief Economist at the SMF, said: “The Spring Statement failed to measure up to the hardship in store for the poorest families, who face deep economic pain unless further action is taken. The hit to living standards is set to be on a similar scale to the worst recessions, but the Chancellor’s response was far from the adaptable ‘whatever it takes’ approach he took to the pandemic response.

Translation and international marketing agency ALM celebrates its 20th anniversary this month having recently achieved inclusion in the Slator Language Service Provider Index, a respected registry of the world’s largest translation, localization, interpreting, and language technology companies. 

Co-director Rachel Coleman has said: “From setting up ALM Translations (formerly Asset Language Management) in 2002 in a converted garage, Lisa and I have grown our business year-on-year thanks to our very different skillsets.

National law firm Clarke Willmott LLP has added a new partner to its family team in Birmingham.

Clarke Willmott continues to expand its national family law team with the addition of Adam Maguire as partner in the Birmingham Office.

A state-of-the-art self-driving shuttle will take to the roads around Birmingham Airport, transporting passengers, as part of ground-breaking trials getting underway in Solihull.

This is the latest phase in an exciting Council-led project which aims to test out how Connected Autonomous Vehicles (CAVs) might be integrated into the borough’s transport network in the future.

The City of Wolverhampton Council has been shortlisted for two awards at the LGC Awards 2022, which celebrate the achievements of local government organisations.

The council is a finalist in two categories – ‘Children’s Services’ and ‘Diversity and Inclusion’. In the ‘Children’s Services’ category, the council’s Transforming Children’s Services Programme has been shortlisted after work to transform the way the council supports the most vulnerable children and young people in the city over the last five years.

A major conference designed to help businesses boost productivity through improved leadership and people management is being hosted by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce this month. A line-up of high-profile of speakers - including Birmingham 2022 chief executive Ian Reid and the West Midlands Combined Authority’s Race Equality Taskforce chair Yetunde Dania – will address delegates at the Chamber’s Growth Through People conference at the Eastside Rooms, Birmingham on 30 March.

Due to popular demand, eco-friendly, electric boat company GoBoat has today announced the opening of a brand-new Birmingham location, their first site outside of the capital, with bookings now open to the public. 

The new site will open from April 8, where groups of up to eight guests can charter the electric boats and set sail, exploring Birmingham’s famed canal network.

Greater Birmingham Commonwealth Chamber of Commerce (GBCCC) has signed an agreement with an Australian trade body that will bring increased benefits to its members.

To coincide with the Commonwealth Games Queen’s Baton Relay arriving in Australia this week, the Chamber has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with Trade & Investment Queensland – the Queensland Government's dedicated global business agency that helps exporters do business in international markets.

The West Midlands MIPIM delegation addressed global investors at the UK Government Pavilion at the international property conference in Cannes earlier this week, unveiling transformational investment opportunities from right across the UK’s largest regional economy; with a particular focus on accelerating the regions ambitious net zero agenda.

According to domestic abuse campaigners, the strip search of a Black schoolgirl was "sexual assault". The CEO of charity Sistah Space, Ngozi Fulani, said: "Everybody involved" should face charges.

The 15-year-old was pulled out of an exam for the search, which has also been condemned by Hackney MP Diane Abbott, as racist.