Business News

Deb Leary has become only the third female president of Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce (GBCC) in its 208-year history and pledged to put the region’s interests “front and centre”.

Her two-year term as successor to Steve Allen was confirmed at the GBCC annual meeting at the Radisson Blu in Birmingham city centre where chief financial officer Helen Bates reported an income for 2020-2021 of £5.5 million, generating a surplus after tax of £80,000.

Some 180,000 jobs could be lost across the UK Travel & Tourism sector this year, if travel restrictions are re-imposed this winter, according to alarming new data from the World Travel & Tourism Council (WTTC). 

WTTC, which represents the global private Travel & Tourism sector, made the warning after an analysis which showed the impact caused by a further tightening of borders.

Kura, a leading transport technology provider offering safer, greener and smarter travel for education and businesses, is celebrating a host of achievements made over the last 12 months. The company, founded with the intention of transforming the traditional school bus run, enables schools and businesses to maximise the safety, wellbeing and productivity of their students and employees, while driving down transport costs and CO2 emissions.

Full service content marketing agency, HDY Agency, has expanded its portfolio of clients after securing a number of new projects with global biotechnology company, The Binding Site.

Founded by researchers at the University of Birmingham, The Binding Site provides specialist diagnostic products to clinicians and laboratory professionals around the world. 

A Shrewsbury car retailer has received a prestigious award for its continued efforts in striving towards a zero-emissions future and tackling the ongoing climate crisis.

Volvo Cars Shrewsbury, an approved Volvo dealer on Featherbed Lane, has received the Electric Vehicle Accreditation (EVA) by the National Franchised Dealers Association (NDFA) for its recognition in promoting more sustainable transport options.

It has been reported that the government has finally cancel plans for the HS2 rail link to Leeds.

This comes after Prime Minister Boris Johnson previously committed to building the connection from the West Midlands to the northern powerhouse of Liverpool, Manchester and Leeds. Government ministers were said to be poised, instead, to fund disparate projects that favour Tory constituencies.

New market research released today reveals that nearly one in five (19%) working adults surveyed in Birmingham don’t feel they can be their true self in their current job or career. 

Nationally, this rises to nearly a third (30%) of Gen Z working adults – those aged between 18 and 23 – surveyed who feel they can’t be their true self in their current role. More than four fifths (85%) of this age group say they feel more at ease expressing their individuality outside of work.

The council announced in March it had struck a deal with AEG Presents and contracts have now been exchanged to secure a major coup for the city.  

AEG Presents, the live-entertainment division of AEG - the world’s leading sports and live-entertainment company, supported by ASM Global - the world’s leading venue operator, is scheduled to take up occupation of the halls in late April 2022 and then commence the internal fit out to the front of house bars, kitchen and sound and lights systems.  

Pressure Pump Solutions has just entered into a strategic partnership with Hyundai Power Products. The collaboration originated from meetings held over the past two months between Hyundai UK, and Sheffield-based David Wood, owner of Pressure Pump Solutions.

This alliance comes at a vital time in the UK, as tradespeople and home DIYers look for the most economic solutions to business and domestic problems, using suppliers they know they can rely on.

GXO Logistics, Inc., the world’s largest pure-play contract logistics provider, announced today that Letitia James has joined the company in the newly created position of Vice President, Diversity, Inclusion and Belonging. James will serve as a champion for advancing and evolving the company’s Diversity and Inclusion vision, strategy and initiatives, supporting GXO’s business objectives and reinforcing its inclusive culture.

Property seekers in Solihull are being encouraged to attend Bromford’s upcoming open day event at Blythe Valley, where they can learn more about Shared Ownership and the housing association’s brand-new apartments.

The open day will be taking place on Friday, November 12 from 3pm to 7pm, and be held at the Blythe Valley housing development, off Central Boulevard in Blythe Valley Park.

An expert team of lawyers who specialise in supporting clients in the Later Living sector have announced the results of a survey looking at the perceptions and attitudes of consumers to retirement living.

The team from national law firm Clarke Willmott LLP, carried out the inaugural ‘Retirement Living – consumer attitudes survey 2021’ after seeing an uptick in demand for residential developments designed for retirees and older clientele.

A recent survey, commissioned by accounting software provider FreshBooks, has revealed the top struggles small business owners in the Midlands have faced during the pandemic.

With a survey sample of 1,000 small business owners, FreshBooks revealed 60% of small business owners in the Midlands felt some sort of impact from COVID-19 on their business.

The West Midlands is driving towards a clean and green transport future as the region seeks better ways of managing our road networks and harness new ideas and new technology.

That was the message from West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) interim chief executive Laura Shoaf in a keynote speech to transport industry leaders at the Highways UK conference at the NEC in Birmingham.

Every 24 hours, more than 8,000 tonnes of food, products and other essentials pass over the England-Scotland border at Gretna in freight trains - the greenest way of transporting food, drink and other essentials in bulk.

As Scotland does not have any deep-sea container ports, it relies on the West Coast main line to keep supplies moving north.

Appointments have been made to two key positions as part of Birmingham city council’s aim to drive forward its priorities.

Paul Kitson will become Strategic Director of Place, Prosperity and Sustainability; Richard Brooks will be the Director of Strategy, Equality & Partnerships. The design of the core leadership team and council priorities were set out and approved in the cabinet report Investing in our Future.