Sportech’s acquisition of US-based Scientific Games Racing has been delayed by international regulatory approvals, the company has announced. “This US regulatory process has been more demanding than originally anticipated, and consequently has taken longer than initially advised. This highlights both the challenges of the US licensing process, but also the benefits from being one of a number of licensed gaming operators and providers in North America,” the Liverpool company said in a stateme

Information services company Experian has found released its mergers and acquisitions and equity capital market data covering the second quarter of 2010. There were 119 announced transactions in the North West during the period, a fall of 14 per cent from the first quarter, while deal value fell 71 per cent to £1.165bn. Experian found that 12.5 per cent of UK deals announced in the second quarter had a North West element, with Liberum Capital named as the best performing financial adviser.

Jonathan Main has been named as senior partner of PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) in Liverpool. He replaces Brian Clark who leaving the post after five years to take over as head of the North West tax team. Main has been with PwC for eight years and has been of head of VAT for the firm in the North West for the past five years. He said: “We have ambitious plans for the firm in the city, including expansion and the recruitment of more senior people into the team.”

Liverpool e-tourism technology supplier New Mind has secured its first major international contract. The company will supply its destination management system, which powers more than 50 per cent of the UK’s official tourist board websites, to the Costa del Sol Tourist Board. New Mind’s Spanish reseller Vilau played an instrumental role in securing the contract following a competitive tender process. Vilau will now design and build the new site which is expected to go live in August.

An independent report carried out by Ekosgen and Lambert Smith Hampton has found that the Northwest Regional Development Agency’s (NWDA) return on overseas inward investment is on target to be £30 for every £1 spent by 2013. Between April 2006 and March 2009, the NWDA invested £3.5m on overseas projects that have so far generated more than £56m in GVA. The report found that this figure could be as much as £104m in three years when all of the foreign direct investment activity has fully matured.

Gluten free food supplier Nutrition Point, based in Warrington, has appointed the company’s marketing director as its new managing director. Bob Trice has taken over from founder Chris Hook who will remain with the business in an advisory role until the end of the year. Trice previously worked for Nestlé in the UK and Switzerland and joined Nutrition Point in 2007.

The first public consultation into a new £200m mixed-use development in Speke has begun. Belfast property developer Benmore Group wants to build hotels, a multi-screen cinema, gym and restaurants on a 50-acre brownfield site adjacent to the New Mersey Retail Park. The scheme would lead to the creation of 300 jobs and could be open by the middle of 2012. The consultation exercise started today at the New Mersey Retail Park and will run for the next two days.

Hugo Boss is to open a 3,200 sq ft Boss Black/Boss Collection store at Liverpool One. The outlet will stock the full range of Boss Black menswear and is due to open in August. Liverpool One estates director Chris Bliss said: “The quality and style of their clothing and accessories complements the existing brands and we’re confident the store will be a very popular addition to the area.” The store will be based in the Peter’s Lane arcade area of the scheme.

Cheshire-based Pochin Construction has been awarded a £2.5m contract to construct a new vocational college building at The University of Chester’s Kingsway Campus. The new building will provide 16,350 sq ft of space over three storeys, including 2,960 sq ft of exhibition space on the ground floor. Pochin will also demolish the existing classrooms and storage building at the site.