Latest local news-in-brief
JLR begins phased re-start of production, and offers support for its supply chain
JLR has begun a phased restart of its operations and the arranged a new financing solution to support the cashflow of qualifying JLR suppliers, as the business returns to the manufacture of its luxury vehicles following a criminal cyber incident in August. The phased restart of JLR’s manufacturing operations began at the Electric Propulsion Manufacturing Centre (EPMC) near Wolverhampton, where the company builds engines, and its Battery Assembly Centre (BAC) in Coleshill, on Wednesday 8 October 2025. JLR is now fast‑tracking a new financing scheme that will provide qualifying JLR suppliers with cash‑up‑front during the production restart phase. Since the cyber incident, JLR has introduced solutions to support its suppliers, including establishing a dedicated supplier help desk and implementing a manual payment system to settle outstanding invoices, and this week re‑establishing automated supplier payment systems. With the new scheme, qualifying JLR suppliers will be paid much faster than under their standard payment terms, aiding their cashflow in the near term.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2103612-jlr-begins-phased-re-start-of-production-and-offers-support-for-its-supply-chain
Trade body calls for urgent support package for downstream JLR suppliers
The Confederation of British Metalforming (CBM) has welcomed JLR’s staged return to production and the release of the car maker’s own funding stream to support suppliers further down the supply chain, but members from the organisation’s 200-strong base are still raising major liquidity issues, which are causing significant operational problems and threatening a successful restart of supply.
https://thecbm.co.uk/cbm-welcomes-jlrs-staged-return-but-warns-of-long-road-ahead-for-suppliers/
Jobs created at Carlsberg Britvic Rugby facility with £20m investment
Leading drinks business Carlsberg Britvic is investing £20m in a new soft drinks canning line and building extension at its Rugby factory, creating more than 30 new jobs and bringing total investment in the site over the past five years to more than £60m. The new line will significantly increase production capacity, taking the factory’s total number of canning lines up to 10 and allowing Carlsberg Britvic to go from producing 560,000 canned soft drinks an hour to 610,000, and enabling the production of some of the UK’s most popular soft drinks, like Tango and Pepsi MAX.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2103681-jobs-created-at-carslberg-britvic-with-20m-factory-investment
Results dip at industrial gases supplier but business eyes “growth path”
Results have dipped at the Coleshill-based UK arm of a global supplier of industrial gases. Air Liquide UK supplies industrial gases and services to the food, energy, medical and chemical and manufacturing industries. Turnover reached £112.3m in the year to 31 December 2024, down from £133.3m in 2023.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/results-dip-at-industrial-gases-supplier-but-business-eyes-growth-path
Warwick EV Innovator Joins Toyota in Innovate APC Funding Bid
Toyota Manufacturing UK (TMUK) is leading a consortium of partners to evaluate the feasibility of a lightweight battery electric vehicle (BEV) prototype, conforming to the L6e (light quadricycle) category. The consortium has secured funding from the UK government’s DRIVE35 programme via the Advanced Propulsion Centre (APC), which is a non-profit organisation supporting the development of zero emission technologies and new mobility concepts. The study will be undertaken at TMUK’s Burnaston facility in Derby, with outcomes to be tested at the University of Derby. ELM mobility Ltd of Warwick, a designer of small EV vehicles, and Savcor, the lead partner for design and integration of the concept’s lightweight photovoltaic (PV) roof are also members of the consortium.
https://media.toyota.co.uk/toyota-led-consortium-secures-uk-government-funding-for-micromobility-feasibility-study/
Australian mining giant to make UK job cuts
Australian mining giant Fortescue is set to make redundancies at its sites in the UK. On Tuesday an an email sent to staff at Fortescue Zero, in Kidlington and Banbury, the company said it was "moving away from in-house manufacturing". It said this would "regrettably... impact some roles", but did not set an exact figure on how many of its 1,000-strong workforce in the UK would lose their jobs. Fortescue purchased Williams Advanced Engineering, which had been mostly devoted to electric motor racing, in 2022 for $222m (£166m) - rebranding it as Fortescue Zero. The company planned to use the engineering firm to build parts for fleets of new electric trucks, designed to help the antipodean iron ore mining operations reduce carbon emissions. The company has a facility in Coventry, and although no base in the county, the job losses will impact Warwickshire residents and supply chain.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgvdjw9394o
Pre-tax losses widen to almost £180m at iconic taxi maker but underlying losses cut
Pre-tax losses widened to almost £180m at electric vehicle maker LEVC, which is famous for its London black taxis, but the company said it achieved its EBITDA targets after cutting underlying losses. The company recently reduced its headcount at its Ansty HQ site. In 2024. the company achieved 1,272 sales, in line with market demand forecasts that anticipated a decline in demand of 35 per cent. Sales outside of London and in the Rest of World were up by 12 per cent compared to 2023. supported in particular by the delivery of 153 TX vehicles to Baku, Azerbaijan.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/pre-tax-losses-widen-to-almost-180m-at-iconic-taxi-maker
Warwick-based Mid-Counties Co-op discusses merger with £1.8bn potential sales
Discussions are at an advanced stage at the UK’s two largest independent retail co-operatives – The Midcounties Co-operative and Central Co-op - about a merger that would create a 'Society for the future'.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2103439-co-op-societies-discuss-merger-that-could-bring-1.8bn-in-combined-sales
Stratford Metal recycling businesses progresses search for new investment
One of the largest metal recycling and processing businesses in the UK has filed a second notice of intention to appoint administrators to give it more time to secure new investment. Unimetals Recycling (UK) Ltd, which is headquartered in Stratford-upon-Avon, filed its first NOI earlier this month after it failed to secure funding to complete the £195m acquisition of Sims Metals UK.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/one-of-the-uks-largest-metal-recycling-businesses-files-second-noi-as-it-progresses-search-for-new-investment
HTMS raises £1.3m to expand production of ceramic matrix composites
Engineers Dr Danilo Di Salvo and Dr Richard Grainger, founders of High Temperature Material Systems (HTMS) have raised £1.3m to develop their business. Their technology is based around a new way to make advanced heat-resistant materials, which they discovered while experimenting on their kitchen stove. They aim to make high-performance materials currently used in the aerospace industry available for applications such as electric battery casings and automotive parts, from an R&D base in Leamington and new production facility in the South-West.
https://www.theengineer.co.uk/content/news/htms-raises-13m-to-expand-production-of-ceramic-matrix-composites
Warwick Trade supplier Wolseley teams up with HVAC firm to expand low-carbon options
Wolseley Group has joined forces with Haier HVAC Solutions to boost support for installers navigating the low-carbon transition. The partnership expands Wolseley’s renewable product range and improves access to low-carbon technologies across the UK.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2103346-trade-supplier-teams-up-with-hvac-firm-to-expand-low-carbon-options-for-installers
Enabling work kicks off on £140m Stratford 46 business park
The 65-acre mixed-use employment scheme development will provide a flexible mix of logistics, offices, and roadside space. Initial work has now started on a new roundabout off the A46, with Montel Civil Engineering appointed as highways contractor to deliver the access route, utilities, and early infrastructure. Construction of new buildings is expected to start towards the end of 2026 with a main build contractor expected to be name shortly.
https://www.constructionenquirer.com/2025/10/29/enabling-work-kicks-off-on-140m-stratford-46-business-park/
European logistics giant enters UK market at Warwickshire Industrial Park
German family-owned logistics service provider FIEGE, has opened its first dedicated facility in the UK by securing Prologis’ DC2 warehouse at Hams Hall in Coleshill.
https://www.logisticsmatters.co.uk/news/german-3pl-fiege-opens-first-uk-facility/
DPD expands into Warwickshire with 120k sq ft Dordon facility
Parcel delivery giant DPD has struck a deal for almost 120,000 sq ft of logistics space near Tamworth, moving into the unit previously occupied by the Box Ltd business. DPD already has a strong presence in the area, with several units in Hinckley.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/dpd-expands-midlands-operations-with-120k-sq-ft-facility
Warwickshire village pub closes after parent company goes into administration
A village pub in Warwickshire has been closed after its parent company went into administration. It has been confirmed that The Navigation Inn in Lapworth has permanently closed, with administrators announcing the closure on its website. It is one of six sites to be closed. PWC has confirmed that administrators are in control of operations of the Oakman Inns. The property group owned and ran several pubs and restaurants in the south since its formation in 2007.
https://www.warwickshireworld.com/news/people/warwickshire-village-pub-closes-after-parent-company-goes-into-administration-5242115
Indian restaurant launches in Rugby’s Dining Quarter
A new Indian restaurant has opened its doors after signing a lease in Rugby's Chapel Street Dining Quarter. The Mayuri is the latest restaurant to take space in the Quarter, located within the town's Swan Centre complex. David Walton, head of retail for Harris Lamb, said: "This is a statement of intent for Rugby: at 3,900 sq ft, the restaurant is one of the largest in the town, and that, combined with the length of the lease and the investment into to its incredible fit-out, demonstrate just how much confidence the owners have in the region.
https://www.insidermedia.com/news/midlands/indian-restaurant-launches-in-rugbys-dining-quarter
Midven and Future Planet Capital unite capabilities under single brand
Future Planet Capital has announced a brand alignment initiative that brings its global, national, and regional capabilities, including the well-established West Midlands firm Midven, under a single, unified brand.
https://www.thebusinessdesk.com/westmidlands/news/2103376-midven-and-future-planet-capital-unite-capabilities-under-single-brand
Confidence rebounds in Coventry and Warwickshire going into the final part of 2025
Business confidence in Coventry and Warwickshire bounced back heading into the final stages of 2025 according to a new survey – but leaders are warning against cost increases in this November’s Budget. The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce’s latest Quarterly Economic Survey (QES) saw an unexpected rise in sentiment among companies in both manufacturing and service sectors. However, the survey was conducted ahead of the cyber-attack that hit Jaguar Land Rover.
https://www.warwickshireworld.com/business/confidence-rebounds-in-coventry-and-warwickshire-going-into-the-final-part-of-2025-5374423
Brazilian entrepreneur flourishing in Leamington Spa
Carolina Leal visited the UK to learn English – funded by the sale of her late grandad’s cows – and never returned. Next month she is celebrating the second anniversary of her audiology clinic in Leamington with a special Open Day.
https://chalmersnewspr.co.uk/late-mums-words-of-support-ringing-in-her-ears-as-audiologist-marks-business-anniversary-in-leamington/