Latest news in brief from our region...
Marketing agency opens Alcester offices
An international PR and marketing agency has opened an office at Long Barn Village near Alcester. Talking Tortoise was founded by Jessica Blyth-Sweetingham in 2014, specialising in marketing IT hardware, software and cybersecurity. Talking Tortoise are one of the first firms to move into the newly renovated Makers' Space on the outskirts of Alcester. The former visitor attraction is currently being refurbished and transformed into a home to creative businesses and a cafe.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/marketing-agency-opens-warwickshire-office
Hyrdogen fuel facility opens at MIRA in North Warwickshire
Ceres Power, a developer in clean energy technology, has confirmed the opening of a hydrogen fuel cell and electrolysis test facility in Nuneaton, Warwickshire. The development of the facility forms part of a multimillion-pound, long-term agreement between Ceres and HORIBA MIRA, an international automotive engineering and testing consultancy, and is aimed at expanding the UK's provision of new fuel cell and hydrogen technology to international markets.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/hydrogen-fuel-cell-test-facility-opens-its-doors
TATA Chooses UK over Spain for Battery Cell Gigafactory with £500m subsidy
Tata Motors is to build a flagship battery factory in the UK to supply Jaguar Land Rover’s electric cars. Tata, owner of JLR, has chosen a site in Somerset in south-west England for the gigafactory over a rival location in Spain. UK Prime Minister Rishi Sunak held secret talks in May with Natarajan Chandrasekaran, chair of parent company Tata Sons, in an attempt to kick-start Britain’s efforts to join the global race for electric car production. Tata has asked for £500mn of state assistance from the UK, including subsidies for the Somerset factory’s high-energy use, a one-off grant from the government’s £1bn automotive transformation fund, and road improvements to the site near the M5 motorway.
https://www.ft.com/content/cc0e3bf1-a203-4e56-b4d1-fc669ee5589e
JLR confirms new chief executive
Automotive giant Jaguar Land Rover has confirmed the appointment of its new chief executive. Adrian Mardell steps into the role after serving as interim chief executive since November 2022, having been chief financial officer and a member of the board of directors for three years prior.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/jlr-confirms-new-chief-executive
German auto supplier Brose announces Improved financial performance
Pre-tax profits increased at a Exhall-based automotive supplier which works with the likes of Jaguar Land Rover during its latest financial year, new documents have confirmed, despite "volatility in demand". Brose Group is headquartered in Coburg, Germany, and makes products such as seats, window regulators, door modules and other mechanisms for the car making industry. The company's UK arm in accounts for Brose Limited has posted pre-tax profits of £4.2m for the year to 31 December 2022, up from £3.4m in 2021.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/profits-rise-at-automotive-supplier
Rail Forum and CECA Midlands working together to help the rail sector grow
Two leading business organisations have reaffirmed an agreement to help companies in the rail sector benefit from more opportunities to grow. The Civil Engineering Contractors Association (CECA) Midlands and Rail Forum have updated and refreshed their previous Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) originally established in 2019.
https://thebusinessmagazine.co.uk/manufacturing-engineering/rail-forum-and-ceca-midlands-working-together-to-help-the-rail-sector-grow/
HS2’S viaduct segment factory starts production
HS2 has started production of the more than 2,700 concrete segments that will be used to build the Delta Junction, a triangle-shaped series of viaducts that will take high-speed trains between London, the Midlands and the North. The deck segments – which each weigh up to 80 tonnes – are being made on-site at a purpose-built outdoor factory at Kingsbury, Warwickshire. The approximately 592,000 sq ft site employs about 1,000 people, with a team of 200 tasked with building the network of nine viaducts at Water Orton and Coleshill.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/hs2s-viaduct-segment-factory-starts-production
Refurb and expansion planned for historic hotel
The new owners of a historic Warwickshire hotel which has twice gone into administration in the last four years have outlined plans to refurbish and expand the site. Warwick's Wroxall Abbey Hotel, which is now owned by ONS International Ltd, is a Victorian neo-Gothic brick mansion. It is also a former girls' school and one-time country estate of architect Sir Christopher Wren.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/refurbishment-and-expansion-plans-outlined-for-historic-hotel
New headquarters for farming organisation
An organisation supporting the farming industry has moved into new headquarters near Coventry. The Agriculture and Horticulture Development Board to move into International House on the Middlemarch Business Park, next to Coventry Airport.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/new-headquarters-for-farming-organisation
Insolvencies up across the West Midlands
The number of companies filing for administration across the Midlands jumped by amost 40 per cent during the second quarter, according to new research from Interpath Advisory. Analysis reveals that a total of 35 companies based in the Midlands fell into administration in Q2 2023 – up from 25 companies in the same period of the prior year. This is less than the UK average, with a total of 315 companies falling into administration– up from 212 or nearly 50%.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/insolvencies-surge-across-the-midlands