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Top story
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Fight for high-speed rail, says Hammond
Transport secretary Philip Hammond has told Insider that the economic case for the planned £32bn high-speed rail line from London to the West Midlands is compelling, but business leaders and local authorities must fight to ensure it goes ahead.
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Deals
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Talis bought by Capita
Talis Information, based in Birmingham, has been acquired by outsourcing giant Capita Group for £18.5m. A further £2.5m could also be payable depending on Talis’ profit performance.
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Spapliance set to launch with investment duo
Spapliance, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, has received £120,000 of funding from two investors to help launch its debut product. The spa product manufacturer received the finance from the University of Warwick Science Park’s Minerva Business Angel Network and Midven, the Birmingham-based specialist venture capitalist.
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Dealmakers in at Catalyst
Catalyst Corporate Finance has recruited a further two dealmakers to its Birmingham office. Paul Vanstone has been appointed by the corporate financier as a director and Florent Gacon joins the firm from Ernst & Young.
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Property
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Sandwell given BSF deadline
A deadline of 11 April has been set by education secretary Michael Gove for Sandwell Borough Council to resubmit its proposals for funding from the government’s Building Schools for the Future (BSF) scheme.
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The Cube unveils first residential scheme
Birmingham’s landmark The Cube has released a new phase of apartments for sale to be released on the market. The first phase comprises 15 properties, which will be completed alongside the development's Marco Pierre White restaurant and Hotel Indigo hotel and spa.
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Business
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Prisk meets Midlands LEPs
Business minister Mark Prisk has met with both the Leicester and Leicestershire LEP and the Coventry and Warwickshire partnership, where he discussed their progress in appointing boards and the priorities they hope to address.
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West Mids businesses 'harbouring expansion ambitions'
Almost one in five West Midlands businesses said they would use borrowed funds to expand their business into new markets. According to a survey by Barclays Business, 18 per cent of companies in the region which indicated they would take the plunge and borrow money said they would invest the funds into new business.
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West Mids companies “have no grasp” of exporting
Many companies in the West Midlands do not know the very basics of trading overseas. That was the message from Stewart Ferguson, China business adviser at the China–Britain Business Council (CBBC), at an Insider round table event held this week in Birmingham.
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Chamber recruits sector specialists
The Coventry and Warwickshire Chamber of Commerce has appointed a new team of sector executives. Among the new recruits is Howard Anderson, who takes on the role of operations manager.
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