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Top story
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Alliance Boots acquires Megapharm
Alliance Boots has taken a 90 per cent stake in Megapharm, the German distributor of oncology products. The acquisition, which has been approved by EU competition regulators, will enable Alliance Boots to enhance its position in the specialty drugs sector. Based in Sankt Augustin, near Bonn, Megapharm provides specialised wholesaling and logistics services for oncology products. Its revenue for the year ended 31 March 2008 was £235m. The business will become part of the Pharmaceutical Wholesale Division led by Ornella Barra, wholesale and commercial affairs director of Alliance Boots. A 10 per cent stake in Megapharm will be held by Dr Matthias Ackermann, its chief executive, who will continue to lead the business. Stefano Pessina, executive chairman, Alliance Boots, said: “This acquisition in the highly attractive oncology segment of the market will further extend the range of specialist added-value services we offer our manufacturer and pharmacist customers and is in line with our strategy of broadening our wholesaling services.”
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Catapult makes the link
Catapult Venture Managers has invested £500,000 in Nottingham-based e-learning business Atlantic Link. The deal will enable Atlantic Link to take advantage of its foothold in the US market. Its clients include BT, Waitrose, Daimler Chrysler, HSBC, Santander and Barclays. 
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Tingdene sheds 99 jobs
The Tingdene Group in Wellingborough, which builds mobile homes, modular housing and log cabins, is to shed 99 jobs as a result of the economic downturn. Tingdene, which has been in the town since 1969, employs more than 380 people at its Finedon Road industrial estate premises.
Good times for Motorpoint
Derby-based Motorpoint has featured strongly for a third
successive year in The Sunday Times Top Track 250. The car supermarket
giant, which is celebrating its 10th anniversary, was named one of the
best-performing Derbyshire-based companies. Launched in 2002, the Top Track 250
ranks the UK’s leading privately-owned mid-market companies based on their
sales performance. Motorpoint came in at 83 with annual sales of more than
£290m – up £50m on the previous year.
Bridge seeks buyer for Mainland Plant Hire
Bridge Business Recovery is searching for a buyer for the plant hire division of Kettering’s Mainland Construction Group following its appointment as joint administrators. While the construction and civil engineering divisions of the company have been closed and the contracts sold, its plant hire operation continues to trade as a going concern. Andrew Duncan, partner with Bridge Business Recovery, said: “Considerable interest has been expressed in this side of its business and we expect further interest as we identify a suitable buyer.”
Berryman launches Sharia law service
The private client team at Nottingham law firm Berryman has unveiled details of a service launched by its wills and probate specialists, which will deliver tailored advice to ensure Muslims meet their religious obligations with a will that is Sharia compliant. The service is being led by Berryman’s Shaheda Oppal.
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Heb squares up to new instruction
Nottingham’s Heb has been instructed to act as joint agent on a major retail scheme in Leicester. The company will act on lettings at the St Martin’s Square Shopping Centre in Leicester city centre. The scheme was originally constructed in 1984 and is recognised as the city’s primary independent shopping centre location for a range of fashion stores, gift shops, cafe restaurants and home goods. St Martin's Square is home to 32 retail units and boasts tenants such as Jade, Limeys, MacQueen, Moda in Pelle and Pizza Express.
Planning permission granted for Pera
Planning permission has been granted for building refurbishment at Melton Mowbray-based Pera, the innovation and business support organisation. Permission has been granted for work on Phase one of the external refurbishment of the main office building. The site, on Nottingham Road, comprises original buildings dating back to the 1950s. This is the second stage of a major refurbishment and redevelopment of the campus, the first being a 400-space car park. Nottingham architect Rayner Davies is designing the project.
Danwood opens Ripley office
The Danwood Group, which has been operating in the print and document industry for more than 35 years, has opened office premises at Epos House on Heage Road in Ripley. The office will be headed by regional sales manager Martin Lenton, who will be working alongside four experienced account managers.
NEC Infrontia moves to Ruddington
NEC Infrontia, the supplier of SMB and Enterprise telephone systems, is moving its headquarters from Loughborough to a new development on the Ruddington Fields Business Park. The premises, which have only just been completed, are an 11,000 sq ft, two-storey self-contained office building. Innes England acted as agent.
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Lloyds moulds team around Clay
Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets has appointed John Clay as a relationship director in the East Midlands. Clay returns to Lloyds TSB from HBOS where he was previously a relationship director. He began his career more than 20 years ago in Melton Mowbray, working for Lloyds TSB's local branch. Since then he has continued to work across the East Midlands in Nottingham, Leicester and Lincoln.
New IT director at Pall-Ex
Leicestershire-based pallet distribution network Pall-Ex has appointed Sean Sherwin-Smith as director of IT. He will be responsible for Pall-IT, a bespoke system that facilitates freight management throughout the Pall-Ex network of depots.
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Insider UK Investment Forum 2008
After the huge success of last
year’s inaugural event, Insider is heading to London again next month for the Insider UK
Investment Forum 2008. This year’s event is entitled How UK Cities Can Create
Competitive Advantage and will feature an exclusive presentation by Prof Michael
Parkinson on the impact of the credit crunch on UK regeneration
projects. To be held over lunch at the Hotel Andaz in London on 7 November, the forum marks the launch of the
flagship UK Business Insider 2009 title, our guide to the UK regions, and
will feature a panel including Chris Brown, chief executive of Igloo
Regeneration and Ken Shuttleworth, director of Make architects. If you are
interested in attending this event or would like further details please email Helen Power .
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