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Top story
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We will learn from the 80s enterprise zones, says Pickles
Communities secretary Eric Pickles has vowed to ensure that the three enterprise zones in the Midlands will boost economic growth and stimulate private sector employment. Speaking to Insider he said the zones - earmarked for areas in Birmingham and Solihull, the Black Country and Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire - would not simply be a rehash of Conservative policy from the 1980s.
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Deals
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Boparan succeeds in Northern Foods takeover bid
More than three-quarters of Northern Foods shareholders have now accepted Birmingham entrepreneur Ranjit Boparan's £342m bid for the business. The Harry Ramsden owner said he now needs approval from the competition authorities for the takeover to complete.
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Event Hire takes on Jongor Birmingham
Walsall-based Event Hire has acquired furniture and catering equipment hire business Jongor Birmingham. The deal is expected to boost Event Hire’s turnover by £300,000 per year.
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Property
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Brownhills scheme secures HCA grant
A housing development in Walsall has been awarded more than half a million pounds in government funding. Nine bungalows will be built in Brownhills after a £588,000 grant was secured from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA).
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JCB announces expansion after sales surge
Manufacturing giant JCB, based in Staffordshire, has announced plans to build a £63m academy in Brazil. The company also revealed that it will invest £19m in a new engine plant in Delhi.
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Planning stance commended by Business Voice
Lobby group Business Voice West Midlands (BVWM) has praised the decision of the region’s main councils to continue some elements of regional planning. The organisation’s comments come after the government announced plans to abolish planning at a regional level.
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Business
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West Midlands welcomes Budget proposals
As the dust settles on George Osborne’s 2011 Budget, business leaders from across the West Midlands have voiced their largely positive reaction to some of the surprise measures.
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Sales on the up at EG Solutions
Revenues have soared 21 per cent at Staffordshire-based EG Solutions. Sales at the company increased to £5.1m from £4.2m in its comparable 2010 results. The software solutions provider also said that pre-tax profits and costs relating to its acquisition of XTAQ were up 400 per cent.
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SMT Developments joins MAN
A Warwick-based printed circuit board assembly specialist has become the latest company to join MAN, a collaboration of Midlands-based manufacturers. SMT Developments is the ninth company to join the organisation.
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Insider Membership – Communicate with Midlands Top Companies
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