Business News

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.

bakergoodchild, a leading high-tech mailing company, have launched a campaign to celebrate postal workers across the UK.

The demand for postal workers is at an all-time high and with Royal Mail experiencing staff shortages across the country, our posties are more overworked than ever.

A rogue builder who swindled a Wolverhampton homeowner out of more than £1,000 and then disappeared leaving behind incomplete and defective work has been fined by magistrates. 

William Morton, of Wolseley Close, Birmingham, pleaded guilty to carrying out work without professional diligence, contrary to the Consumer Protection from Unfair Trading Regulations 2008. Problems began when the trusting homeowner, from the East Park area of the city, employed Morton to carry out a garage conversion on his property. 

The UK financial sector continues to bounce back from the pandemic as hiring activity reaches an all-time high.

The current senior finance job market is characterised by increasing demand for staff at every level, but with a shortage of skills and low candidate supply leading to a record number of vacancies. While jobs within the ‘executive and professional’ category have the slowest increase, they are still experiencing a sharp jump in demand.

Worcestershire’s Malvern Hills, located in the village of Great Witley, is home to Hundred House, a magnificent Grade II listed building steeped in history.

Hundred House is a state-of-the-art development featuring 16 residential units, with more than half already sold. A collaboration between HCT Homes and Bramham Properties, the property developers have created modern-day luxurious homes, paying meticulous attention to detail whilst honouring the building’s historic charm.

Over the last few years, West Bromwich town centre has undergone one of the largest physical and economic refurbishment programmes in the West Midlands region, with changes now visibly taking shape.

The programme has seen hundreds of millions of pounds invested into schemes that provide both residents and visitors of West Bromwich with state-of-the-art opportunities, amenities and services.

The West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) has approved a £6 million investment to support the construction of a new industrial park on the site of a derelict steelworks in north Birmingham. Working alongside industrial property developer Chancerygate, the development of Minworth Industrial Park will transform the former Steel Plates and Sections site off Forge Lane.

The first Official Retail Store for Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games has now officially opened. Located on New Street by the iconic Bullring, the 3,200ft² store is stocked full of official Birmingham 2022 merchandise, including clothing, hats, caps, water bottles and soft toys. Sports fans can also get their hands-on Team England T-shirts, vests and hoodies.

Passengers using the West Coast main line between London Euston and Crewe can rely on the railway to get home to loved ones this Christmas during railway improvement work.

This year major bank holiday upgrades will take place on Christmas Day and Boxing Day, when traditionally the railway shuts down for a festive face-lift.

English football needs an independent regulator to stop it "lurching from crisis to crisis", says the chair of a fan-led review into the sport.

Former sports minister Tracey Crouch is calling on the government to create a new independent regulator for English football (IREF).

Businesses are poised for a blockbuster Black Friday, as shifts for temporary staff in warehouses and distribution are up 42% compared to last year, according to new data from Indeed Flex, the online marketplace for flexible workers. 

Employer demand is strongest for delivery drivers, with businesses posting more than three times as many shifts for drivers (up 226%) for the week leading up to Black Friday as they did during the same time last year. 

Cyber criminals will be looking to exploit shoppers during the Black Friday sales – an expert from Birmingham cyber security firm CSS Assure has warned.

People in the UK are planning to spend an estimated £4.8bn on Black Friday (26 November) and Cyber Monday (29 November) purchases this year, according to research by comparison site Finder.

ActionCOACH Black Country managing director Andy Hemming has scooped a top industry award for the fifth year in a row - beating hundreds of others to get the accolade.

Mr Hemming was awarded the ActionCOACH ‘UK Best Client Ratings’ once again, after first receiving the award in 2017. The nationwide competition saw more than 200 coaches compete for the award.