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Top story
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Peel meets mystery Chinese investor
Senior figures from The Peel Group have been in Shanghai this week in a bid to attract further inward investment to the North West. Development director Lindsey Ashworth and Liverpool Vision's Mike Taylor met with an unnamed Chinese investor who is looking to invest £1bn in UK real estate.
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Deals
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Huws Gray buys Ainscough
Ainscough Building Supplies in Wigan has been sold to independent builders merchant Huws Gray for an undisclosed sum. The business can trace its roots back to 1902 and is run by Joe Ainscough, part of the Ainscough crane, metals and building dynasty.
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Harris Associates ups JJB stake
US hedge fund Harris Associates has upped its stake in JJB Sports to 17.9 per cent, making it the largest shareholder in the Wigan sportswear retailer. According to a filing to the Stock Exchange, the fund has upped its stake to 116m shares from 104m. Harris Associates, the Chicago-based fund run by David Herro, last week raised its stake from 93m.
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Business
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JLR boosts Tata profits
The Tata Motor group, which includes the Jaguar Land Rover brand, has seen a return to profit of 19.9bn rupees (£273m) after posting a loss of 3.3bn rupees (£44m) last year. The company said the Speke-based Jaguar Land Rover made a pre-tax profit of £233.8m.
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BCL reports increased demand for newly-qualified lawyers
BCL Legal has identified a rise in demand for newly-qualified lawyers from Liverpool law firms. The recruitment consultancy, which has an office at Exchange Flags in the city, said the majority of roles were with the top 100 firms.
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Hoarty joins Barclays in Liverpool
Paul Hoarty has left Lloyds TSB Corporate Markets in Liverpool to join Barclays Corporate. He has been appointed as relationship director for the area and will be responsible for the manufacturing, transport and logistics sectors, as well as driving business development.
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Hammer time for Bridging Finance
Bridging Finance Solutions, based on the Wirral, has been appointed as preferred finance supplier to the UK’s fifth biggest auctioneer, Auction House. The arrangement will give Bridging Finance Solutions access to buyers at Auction House’s network of 150 estate agency branches and 20 regional auction rooms.
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Austere Christmas for retailers, says PwC
Economic uncertainty means retailers are likely to take a cautious approach to stock in the run-up to Christmas. That's according to Karen Bluff, head of the retail sector group at PricewaterhouseCoopers in the North West.
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Property
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Council expects £25m academy plans
Cheshire West and Chester Council says it expects a planning application for a new £25m academy to be submitted to its strategic planning board before the end of the year. The academy in Ellesmere Port was one of 15 school projects in the North West approved by education secretary Michael Gove earlier this week.
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TRaC expands in Skelmersdale
Testing and certification company TRaC has expanded to larger premises in Lancashire. The business, which secured a £140,000 grant from the Northwest Regional Development Agency in January, has taken a 15,000 sq ft testing facility in Skelmersdale.
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