Weightmans and Mace & Jones agree merger

North West law firms Weightmans and Mace & Jones have this morning confirmed they have agreed terms to merge. The deal will create a firm of more than 1,000 staff with a combined fee income of £75m.

Cleaning deal safeguards 400 jobs

Commercial cleaning business Lara Nichols, based in Lancashire, has been bought out of administration by a company set up by a member of its former management team. The deal has helped to safeguard 400 jobs.

JD buys Fenchurch brand

High street retailer JD Sports Fashion has bought the Fenchurch brand and assets from administration in a deal thought to be worth about £1.5m.

Villiers calls on leaders to support £32bn rail plans

Transport minister Theresa Villiers has urged business leaders in the North West to make their voices heard if they want the government’s plan for a £32bn high-speed rail network to go ahead. She told Insider: “It’s a chance to transform the economic geography of the country, but people in Manchester and the North West have to make it clear they want high-speed rail.”

Revenues up at ‘resilient’ Morson

Gerry Mason, the chairman of Manchester recruitment and engineering business Morson Group, this morning praised the company’s “inherent resilience and strength” after annual revenues topped £450m in 2010.

Vphase transition puts Energetix in the black

Energetix has posted profit of £1.6m for the year to 31 December 2010, up from a loss of £3.8m the previous year. The profit at the Chester-based energy systems company is largely attributable to the deemed disposal of VPhase, which has now become a standalone company.

CBG slips to a loss

AIM-listed insurance and financial services company CBG Group this morning said it expects trading to remain tough as it slipped to a pre-tax loss in 2010. But managing director Mike Askew said that company’s future prospects were still “encouraging”.

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ACC Liverpool announces exhibition centre extension

ACC Liverpool, the waterfront conference and concert venue in Liverpool’s Kings Waterfront, has confirmed its plans to expand southwards with a new £40m-plus exhibition and events complex. The venue will include a four-star hotel and hopes to attract 250,000 visitors in its first year.

Landlords to vote on JJB rescue plans

Creditors of high street retailer JJB Sports will today vote on restructuring plans that could decide whether the Wigan-headquartered company can stay afloat.

Barnfield appointed to Stanley House works

Barnfield Construction has been appointed as the construction partner for the next phase of the Stanley House Hotel development in Mellor.

In Focus: The genius behind Fourth Hospitality

If any private equity investor can take Fourth Hospitality to the level, then ECI can. Michael Taylor on a genius at work.

Tague on Tour: On the waterfront

With ACC Liverpool expanding on the waterfront, does this signal the start of more growth on the city's best asset? Neil Tague casts his eye over the area's future.

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