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Top story
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Banks' attitudes to businesses is heartbreaking, says BV West Midlands director
The executive director of Business Voice West Midlands has told Insider that receiving loans and finance has “risen to the top of the agenda” for most small and medium businesses, and described the attitude of the banks towards companies in need of finance as “heartbreaking”. James Watkins also discussed the lobbying group’s role in getting businesses involved in the creation of the region’s Local Enterprise partnerships (LEPs).
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Deals
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Southwater receives £9.5m investment
The Southwater area of Telford town centre is to receive a funding boost of £9.5m from the Homes and Communities Agency (HCA). The funding is a major step towards the region’s £250m regeneration.
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Midlands office helps Yorkshire Bank top charts
The Midlands office of Clydesdale & Yorkshire Bank Corporate and Structured Finance has helped the bank reach number three in the UK in terms of the number of corporate refinancing deals it supports. According to Corpfin, a subsidiary of Nottingham-based Experian, the bank clinched the number four spot for the number of M&A deals.
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Property
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Alpha tower undergoes £2m makeover
A former "Jackblock" tower in Coventry has had a £2.3m facelift. Alpha House, a 17-storey block, had new aluminium cladding and double glazed windows fitted using a new construction method.
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Tenant demand down in West Midlands, says RICS
Demand in the West Midlands letting market has slowed down, according to the latest survey from the Royal Institution of Chartered Surveyors (RICS). Just two per cent more chartered surveyors reported a rise rather than a fall in tenant demand, said the Residential Lettings Survey.
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NDC Consultants signs Apex Park lease
Telecommunications survey and design company NDC Consultants has signed a ten-year lease on the fourth building of the Mucklow’s Apex Park in Worcester. The building will give the company more than double the space occupied at its previous Brindley Court premises.
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Business
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William de Broe to continue Birmingham expansion
William de Broe, the Birmingham-based subsidiary of the Evolution bank, has said that it intends “to further expand as conditions allow” following a 22 per cent rise in its parent company’s operating profit to £4.5m.
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EIC signs Tesco deal
Building services specialists EIC has secured a maintenance contract with supermarket giant Tesco. The Warwickshire-based company has signed a deal to provide electrical maintenance to more than 500 stores across the region.
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Incorporatewear flies high with Virgin deal
A corporate clothing company based in Warwickshire has signed a deal with Virgin Atlantic Airways as its managing agent and uniform supplier. Incorporatewear will supply bespoke suiting, outerwear and accessories to the airline’s cabin crew.
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Pharmacy chain signs up to Coventry partnerships
Coventry-based pharmacy chain Lloydspharmacy has signed a deal to extend its agreement as the city’s official healthcare partner for the next three years. The company has also agreed to become a new stand sponsor at the Ricoh Arena, taking over from Telent.
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Do you need help sourcing new clients?
Insider’s Midlands Top 500 Companies 2010 Database: Our accurate and comprehensive business marketing list. Request a free sample today, special offer until 24 December.
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The 6 September deadline for LEP submissions is looming large. But how prepared is the Midlands to meet this brave new era with confidence and surety? Is the overwhelming attitude optimism or fear? Sam Metcalf investigates.
