A round up of news-in-brief from the county and region...
Plans lodged for £343m mega-park, set to deliver up to 6,000 jobs
A planning application for a £343m employment park in North Warwickshire has been submitted to North Warwickshire Borough Council and Birmingham City Council. The proposal for ‘Thrive’ from IM Properties could create between 4,400 and 6,000 full-time jobs on-site when the site is fully occupied. Comprising 3 million sq ft of industrial space near Curdworth and Junction 9 of the M42, Thrive would be home to highly-skilled sectors such as automotive, aerospace, rail manufacturing, low carbon and digital technologies. A minimum of 30% of the site is being promoted for advanced manufacturing.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097795-plans-lodged-for-343m-mega-park-set-to-deliver-up-to-6000-jobs
JLR China Partner Chery doesn't rule out UK factory…
Chery is focused on healthy, sustainable growth in the UK before it commits to opening a factory here to build cars. With the launch of its Jaecoo and Omoda brands in recent months, Chery has quickly built a 1.5% market share in the UK. It already has more than 70 dealers in the UK and plans to almost double that by the end of 2026.
https://www.autocar.co.uk/car-news/business-vehicle-manufacturing/chery-doesnt-rule-out-uk-factory-says-more-growth-needed
Developer eyes up major employment site
Community feedback has shaped early proposals for a 500,000 sq ft employment park in Gaydon, which could create up to 500 jobs. Deeley Group says the site could deliver up to 500,000 sq ft of high-quality employment space, providing 400 to 500 jobs across multiple sectors and support for local skills and apprenticeships. The family-run developer shared its vision for the land at Banbury Road with the community this spring. The site is opposite the JLR Product Creation Centre and Aston Martin Lagonda HQ and main manufacturing site.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097587-developer-eyes-up-major-employment-site-in-coventry
What is in the UK-US tariff deal?
The UK and the US have reached a deal over tariffs on some goods traded between the countries.
President Donald Trump's blanket 10% tariffs on imports from countries around the world still applies to most UK goods entering the US. But the deal has reduced or removed tariffs on some of the UK's exports, including cars, steel and aluminium, but most of the detail has yet to be clarified. Cars are the UK's biggest export to the US - worth about £9bn last year. JLR, which exports almost a quarter of its cars to the US, said the deal "secures greater certainty for our sector". Trump also announced that Rolls-Royce engines and plane parts will be able to be exported from the UK to the US tariff-free.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/c15ng4g5g0eo
JLR ends financial year on a high, ready to plug into an electric future
Jaguar Land Rover Automotive, the luxury car marque, published strong financial results for the year ended March 31, 2025 during the month of May. The group, which has manufacturing plants in Halewood, Merseyside, and at Castle Bromwich, Wolverhampton i54, Ryton and Solihull in the West Midlands, achieved a ten-year high for pre-tax and exceptional profits which hit £2.5bn for the year, a 15% increase, on flat revenues of £29bn. JLR also said it welcomed the Government’s changes to the ZEV Mandate which will support its compliance and investment profiles in the short to medium term, ahead of significant changes to the group’s EV (electric vehicle) product availability.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097645-jlr-ends-financial-year-on-a-high-ready-to-plug-into-an-electric-future
Aston Martin investors adjust holdings during period of trade turbulance
Two investors in Aston Martin have reduced their stakes in the luxury car manufacturer amid a challenging period. In a filing with the London Stock Exchange, the Saudi Arabia Public Investment Fund (PIF) dropped its stake from 18% to 16.6%. Shufu Li, the Chinese billionaire founder and chairman of Geeley, cut his stake from 15.2% to 14%. Aston Martin’s chairman Lawrence Stroll is attempting to purchase a further 75 million shares through his investment vehicle Yew Tree Consortium. It would take Yew Tree’s total share capital to 33% and raise £52.5m in gross proceeds for Aston Martin. He was already Aston Martin’s largest shareholder, followed by PIF, Geely and Mercedes Benz.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097610-aston-martin-investors-trim-stakes-as-share-price-slumps
Swissport and Aurrigo launch autonomous vehicle trial at Zurich airport
Swissport has teamed up with Coventry’s Aurrigo International to launch its first global pilot of autonomous ground handling solutions at Zurich Airport. The project starts with a digital simulation platform called Auto-Sim®, which lets Swissport model ground operations virtually. This helps identify opportunities to automate and plan infrastructure and operations more efficiently.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097887-swissport-and-aurrigo-launch-autonomous-vehicle-trial-at-zurich-airport
Global armour manufacturer opens new Coventry site
NP Aerospace, the global vehicle integrator and armour manufacturer, has formally opened its new 5.73-acre facility in Coventry, supporting UK job growth and global defence needs. The 80,000 sq ft site has a large outdoor space for military vehicle fleets, which will enhance vehicle integration, armour production, and engineering capabilities. Facilities include vehicle assembly, fabrication, customer support and spares, engineering development, specialist equipment handling, machining and final finishing, and sustainable energy production. The building Coventry 78 was formerly occupied by German auto supplier Brose, which has consolidated on its main Bedworth site. The new site is also situated close to NP Aerospace’s armour production site in Foleshill, the area of the city where the company was established as part of Courtaulds Group, approaching 100 years ago. The new building was also once part of the Courtaulds group.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097718-global-armour-manufacturer-opens-new-coventry-site
Rugby-based Häfele Appoints New Chief of Sales
Rugby-based Häfele, a distributor of furniture fittings to the kitchen, bedroom and bathroom market, has appointed Gemma McRae as its new chief sales officer of key accounts. In her new role with Häfele, she will manage the business’s salesforce focusing on key accounts, developing new strategies to drive revenues with these customers.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097827-people-hafele-grant-thornton-the-compliance-office
Global PE firm backs major PBSA near the University of Warwick
Global private equity firm KKR has agreed to forward fund a 544-bed purpose-built student accommodation (PBSA) scheme near the University of Warwick. PBSA developer Gilltown and main contractor Winvic will deliver the scheme on Westwood Way, replacing an existing office building on the edge of Westwood Business Park. The previous occupier OCR, the UK exam board of Cambridge University Press & Assessment, relocated to the Bourn office scheme in the centre of Coventry, near Friargate.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097768-global-pe-firm-backs-major-pbsa-near-the-university-of-warwick
Warwickshire’s The Works expects to continue with forecast-beating profit growth
High street chain The Works is expecting profits to continue to outpace market expectations this year as it benefits from the impact of its new strategy and continued positive momentum since Christmas. The Coleshill-based retailer has revealed it expects profits to have risen by more than 50% in the year to May 4. This is despite taking on costs of around £6m from the increases in the minimum wage and employers’ national insurance.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097932-the-works-expects-to-continue-with-forecast-beating-profit-growth
New Coventry training hub for global construction materials firm
Global construction materials company Cemex is set to open a new training facility in Coventry to help employees fulfil client demand. The $15bn firm, which manufactures and distributes cement, concrete, and aggregate for the construction industry globally, and has a major UK plant on the edge of Rugby town, has opened the training facility at the Business Innovation Centre – part of the University of Warwick Science Park. The new training centre also sits alongside an office for administration staff across 1,732 sq ft of space. This has freed up capacity for its 200 staff at its UK headquarters near the Innovation Centre on Binley Business Park.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097584-new-coventry-training-hub-for-global-construction-materials-firm
Heineken to pump over £3m into West Midlands pubs brewing 71 new jobs
Pubs across the West Midlands are set for a £3.38m investment from Heineken this year, as part of wider plans to revamp its Star Pubs estate. The regional funding is expected to support upgrades at more than 20 pubs and create around 71 new jobs, with additional investment from licensees.
One of the first to benefit was The Roseycombe, just outside Coventry in Rugby Borough, which reopened in January following a £350,000 joint refurbishment.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097413-heineken-to-pump-over-3m-into-west-midlands-pubs-brewing-71-new-jobs
Canadian giant strikes deal for listed telematics and data insight provider
A Canadian software giant has agreed a recommended cash acquisition for a North Warwickshire telematics and data insight provider in a deal that values the listed company at more than £7.7m. Brillian UK, a company within the Omegro portfolio and wholly-owned, indirectly, by Constellation Software, has struck a deal for Coleshill-headquartered Trakm8 Holdings.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/canadian-giant-strikes-deal-for-listed-telematics-and-data-insight-provider
Automotive insulation specialist makes progress on return to profitability
Automotive insulation specialist Autins Group has reported a net loss of £1.7m in the 18 months to 31 March 2025, but says it’s making solid progress toward a return to profitability. The Rugby-based firm, known for its patented Neptune acoustic material, recorded sales of £31.1m, up from £22.7m in the previous full year.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097257-automotive-insulation-specialist-makes-progress-on-return-to-profitability
Global travel company strengthens portfolio with Warwick hotel
Global travel tech company OYO, through its parent Oravel Stays, has added Mercure Walton Hall in Warwick to its West Midlands portfolio. The hotel will join OYO’s premium brand, Sunday, under a new lease agreement, with a full refurbishment planned to refresh the property. The move is part of OYO’s broader push to expand its luxury footprint across the UK, with Walton Hall being one of six new additions to the Sunday collection.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097207-global-travel-company-strengthens-portfolio-with-warwick-hotel
Travis Perkins Sells Ansty Staircase manufacturer in £24m deal
Travis Perkins has sold its specialist floor kit, i-joist and staircase manufacturer for £24m, in a bid to become a pure-play building materials distributor. Staircraft has been sold to Gait Consulting, which is majority owned by Andy Hamilton, the founder of Staircraft. The Staircraft group operates from four sites in Coventry, Warwickshire and West Bromwich. It was one of the first companies to occupy the Apollo expansion at Ansty Technology Park. It secured a major investment from Travis Perkins in 2015, which led to the firm being acquired in 2021.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097336-travis-perkins-offloads-staircase-manufacturer-in-24m-deal
Logistics giant secures approval for £135m Bedworth scheme
Panattoni, the world’s largest privately owned industrial developer, has secured full reserved matters planning consent for its £135m scheme in Bedworth, on the edge of Coventry. The Panattoni Park Coventry site was purchased from L&Q Estates last year, with outline planning approval for 600,000 sq ft of logistics facilities, including a main unit spanning 540,000 sq ft and the potential for two additional units of 40,000 sq ft and 20,000 sq ft each. Construction is now set to begin at the 55-acre site this quarter, with the first 540,000 sq ft unit – developed speculatively – expected to be ready for tenant occupation by Q3 2026. Once delivered, it will become one of the Midlands’ largest speculative logistics units, targeting BREEAM “Outstanding” and EPC A+ credentials. Panattoni Park Coventry will also be Panattoni’s first project to achieve a WiredScore accreditation, which is a global digital connectivity certification that assesses and promotes technology infrastructure in real estate.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097113-logistics-giant-secures-approval-for-135m-coventry-scheme
FDC launches £81.5m fund to boost growth for regional SMEs
Frontier Development Capital (FDC) has launched a new £81.5m fund to support the growth of regional SMEs and help them improve sustainability. The debt funding specialist, which is part of Mercia Asset Management, has created the Evolution fund, which will focus in particular on businesses in the Midlands and the North of England. It’s backed by £80m in commitments from West Midlands Pension Fund (WMPF) and the British Business Bank, each committing £40m. It will provide flexible debt solutions of £1m to £8m to established SMEs in any sector with proven business performance, growth potential and a strong management team. The funding can be used to support transactions including management buyouts, acquisitions, shareholder reorganisations and debt refinancing, provide growth capital or help firms to embed sustainability practices and work towards achieving carbon net zero.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097209-fdc-launches-81.5m-fund-to-boost-growth-for-regional-smes
Partnership to help ‘redefine’ software development for businesses
The Greater Birmingham, Coventry & Warwickshire and Black Country Chambers of Commerce have announced a partnership with B13 to gather insights on software development in the region.
The Chambers will be looking to gather insights on these topics through their upcoming Quarterly Business Report surveying, as well as focus groups with employers in Greater Birmingham, Coventry and Warwickshire and the Black Country. The Behind the Build report, summarising the findings of the research, will be published in October, at one of the Chamber’s Business Growth Studio events.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097901-partnership-to-help-redefine-software-development-for-businesses
Rayner tells property world – we need you to build, build, build
Fresh from meeting the new Pope, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner told the UKReiiF property and regeneration conference in Leeds in May that she wants to see new entrepreneurial housebuilders and community projects contribute to her “stretching” target of 1.5m homes to be built in the lifetime of this parliament.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097864-rayner-tells-property-world-we-need-you-to-build-build-build
UK tops economic leaderboard with stronger-than-expected GDP growth
The UK economy grew faster than expected at the start of this year with a performance that out-paced the rest of the major economies. Official figures showed gross domestic product (GDP) increased by 0.7% in the first quarter, beating economists’ predictions as well as the rest of the G7.
It is also suggests that business confidence was much more resilient than many had expected following the Budget in November, which announced significant increases in employers’ National Insurance. However there are concerns that America’s tariff strategy, and the turmoil that has unleashed on the global economy, will weaken future results.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097712-uk-tops-economic-leaderboard-with-stronger-than-expected-gdp-growth
Report finds private capital contributes £19bn to the Midlands economy
A new report has found that businesses supported by private capital contribute £19bn annually to the Midlands economy. The report, Private Capital in the Midlands, released by the British Private Equity and Venture Capital Association (BVCA) in Birmingham, highlights the sector’s role in regional growth across the UK. In 2024, private capital invested £1.18bn into Midlands businesses. As of 2025, private capital backs 905 businesses in the region, a 15% increase compared to 2023. Venture capital now plays a bigger role, supporting 455 businesses, 20% more than in 2023 and private equity supports 250 businesses, steady compared to the previous year.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2097648-report-finds-private-capital-contributes-19bn-to-the-midlands-economy-2