Ten foreign direct investment projects into Merseyside last year helped the North West to become the joint-second most popular place to locate in the UK for foreign business during 2009, according to Ernst & Young’s latest European Attractiveness Survey published today. The projects in Merseyside included Jaguar Land Rover’s expansion to produce low carbon vehicles at Halewood and a recruitment drive by Swedish wealth management company Intrum Justitia in Liverpool. There were 38 foreign direct investment projects located in the region, down from 51 in 2008.

Liverpool social enterprise Brava Design has won three new clients in the past month. The design agency has added Speke-based Can Cook Cookery School, law firm Brown Turner Ross and children’s day nursery Hopscotch Childcare to its existing portfolio. Business manager Stephanie Hosny said: “Not only do we specialise in working with third sector and social enterprise clients, we are also seeing a lot of private and professional service clients coming through our doors.”

Pharmaceuticals company IS Pharma, based in Chester, has hailed “another year of exceptional performance” after increasing sales and profits in the year to 31 March. Chief executive Tim Wright said the business has been strengthened by product acquisitions, while the rollout of its Variquel and Episil products should accelerate future growth. Revenue increased 17 per cent to £14.2m during the period, while pre-tax profit grew 30 per cent to £2.6m. Trading since the year end has been in line with expectations.

Less than a third of small and medium-sized businesses in the North West currently export, according to new research by Lloyds TSB Commercial. The study found that only 28 per cent of small companies trade internationally, with 46 per cent of non-exporters citing a lack of demand as the reason not to do so. However, of the 28 per cent of exporters, 69 per cent said they had experienced growth in foreign markets in the past 12 months, while 23 per cent said exports sales remained static over the period.

The chairman of Advanced Medical Solutions (AMS), the Cheshire developer of wound care products, today said that first-half trading has been “substantially ahead” of last year and the business is expected to meet full-year expectations. Speaking before the company’s annual general meeting, Geoffrey Vernon added that the company has secured three more distribution partners in the US for its tissue adhesive LiquiBand. The Winsford business, which earlier this year rejected a takeover approach from Consort Medical, plans to pay a maiden dividend for the 2010 financial year.

Widnes-based logistics company Suttons Group, which specialises in moving bulk liquids and chemicals, is looking to further expand its presence in China. The company is to take part in The International Tank Container Organisation exhibition in Shanghai next week. Suttons already employs 50 people at its £10m-turnover business in Shanghai but hopes the exhibition will help it to secure more clients.