Business News

HS2 Ltd today confirmed that a Hitachi/Alstom JV has been awarded the contracts to build Britain’s next generation of high-speed trains at their factories in Derby and County Durham in a major deal set to support 2,500 jobs across the UK.
The landmark contracts – worth around £2bn – will see the JV design, build and maintain a fleet of 54 state-of-the-art high-speed trains that will operate on HS2 - the new high-speed railway being built between London, the West Midlands and Crewe.

City of Wolverhampton Council has expanded its Relight Business Programme grant to support independent retailers and help businesses across the city invest in low carbon and other environmental measures.

The move comes following feedback from businesses across the city on how best they can be supported after being hit hard by the pandemic.

People are live in a time, following the recent pandemic, when ‘vaccine’ has become a buzzword, at the forefront of everyone’s mind.

But for Kitty Liao, the founder and CEO of UK company Ideabatic, the fascination began seven years ago, when she decided to set up her award-winning social enterprise and present her first product – the SMILE vaccine cooling system, currently on display at the Expo Live Pavilion – The Good Place. The best way to explain how SMILE works is to describe the problems it addresses.

Up to 2,000 old and cold homes across the West Midlands are to get energy saving insulation, low carbon heating systems and other fuel reducing technology after the region secured more than £19 million of government funding.

The money, which follows a successful bid co-ordinated by the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) into the government’s Sustainable Warmth Competition, comes as the region seeks to ramp up action to tackle climate change, reduce fuel poverty and support its #WM2041 ambition to be net zero within the next 20 years.

The search is under way to find a construction partner to build three new railway stations on the Camp Hill line in Birmingham.

The £61 million project will see Moseley, Kings Heath and Hazelwell stations constructed and ready for the return of passenger services on the Camp Hill line in Birmingham. Shortlisted construction firms have been officially invited to tender for the contract which is expected to be awarded in the Spring.

Councillor Waseem Zaffar will be asking the Cabinet to approve a recommendation, on 14 December 2021, to create a Local Improvement Budget fund to improve localities.

Designed to tackle minor transport issues identified at ward level, the fund will enable the council to deliver transport and highways capital improvement schemes with a total of £1m of capital funding.

City of Wolverhampton Council has announced it will be launching a new business and enterprise hub to inspire start-ups, growth and support people into employment and training.

IGNITE (Innovate, Grow, Navigate, Ideas, Technology, Entrepreneurship) will be located in ground floor units 3 and 4 of the Council’s i10 office and retail complex at the heart of the city centre’s £150million award-winning transport Interchange.

In 2022 the award-winning social enterprise Pivot will run a series of jewellery making workshops in venues across London, led by trained makers who have lived experience of homelessness. 

In the run-up to Christmas Pivot will be selling workshop vouchers online and across London’s festive markets. Pivot has four workshops currently listed on its website, taking place at the House of Annetta on January 22nd, January 27th, February 12th and March 5th, with more to be released throughout the year. 

For the first time in decades, a British piano brand has been reinvented: Danemann pianos are available once more. This NEW range of upright and grand pianos combines the brand’s British history and quality with exceptional value for money. 

Like many manufacturers of the time, Danemann Pianos was originally based in Islington, London. From 1893 to 1980, the company produced a wide range of instruments from small uprights to concert grands, with actions supplied and built by Renner, Schwander and British Piano Actions.

There were a record number of job vacancies in the UK this year centred around environment, social and governance (ESG) – with more anticipated in 2022 according to global recruiter Robert Walters.

There have been more than 35,000 new jobs created this year alone around ESG – with the number of people moving into these roles increasing by +7% to now represent upwards of 400,000 professionals in the UK.

Councillor Erdal Dogan has been appointed Cabinet Member for Stronger and Safer Communities. The cabinet have made it one of their top priorities to work collaboratively with local residents and have made community safety one of their top priorities.

Cllr Dogan’s arrival will see him focus on key areas including:

Minworth-based innovative independent logistics operator Europa Worldwide Group is on track to achieve record turnover and profits in 2021, with 2022 forecast to be even more successful. Europa’s site at Prologis Park which is home to all 140 staff and four divisions of the business, Europa Sea and Europa Showfreight as well Europa Road’s regional roadfreight team.

Europa’s growth predications follow a hugely productive year, despite the ongoing and unprecedented challenges arising from the global pandemic and Brexit.

HS2 CEO Mark Thurston pushed the button to start HS2’s tunnel boring machine on its one-mile journey under Long Itchington Wood in Warwickshire, marking the launch of the first TBM on the Midlands section of HS2.

Around 170 engineers have been working on the 2,000 tonne, 125m long TBM during its construction and assembly. An expert tunnelling team will now work around the clock in shifts to operate the machine for around five months as it excavates the first bore of the one-mile tunnel.

Downtown in Business (DIB) hosted its first event in Wolverhampton this week with City of Wolverhampton Council Leader, Councillor Ian Brookfield, and Chief Executive Tim Johnson joining an exclusive Roundtable discussion of Investors and Developers at the state-of-the-art Springfield University Campus on Thursday morning.

Among the companies in the room were Arcadis, Avison Young, Bruntwood, Capital & Centric, Laing O’Rourke, and Urban Splash. The council presented its ambitious Investment plans to the group, with the discussion focussing on placemaking, regeneration, and economic growth.

Andy Donald is set to be appointed as Interim Chief Executive of Haringey Council, taking over from Zina Etheridge, who will be leaving her position in February 2022.  

Andy was Chief Executive of nearby Redbridge Council until earlier this year and will take up his new position with Haringey in the New Year, subject to approval at Full Council.

Frasers Group has refinanced nearly £1bn in bank facilities as it seeks to continue its Elevation Programme.

It will be able to access credit facilities and a term loan totalling £930m to support its growth ambitions. Frasers Group is on an ambitious elevation strategy and continues to invest significantly across its portfolio of retail facias and digital platforms, with the vision to serve consumers with the world’s best sports, premium and luxury brands.