Peel makes £96m move for James Bond studios

North West property group Peel Holdings this morning firmed up its offer for Pinewood Shepperton, the film studios where the latest Harry Potter movie and the James Bond franchise were shot. The company has offered £96.1m for the business – an increase of more than £8m on the initial approach it made earlier this month. 

Retail e-Commerce

Insider gathered together a panel of tech-savvy entrepreneurs to discuss the latest and most important trends in e-commerce.
Featuring: Jeremy Gidlow, Intechnica; Jonathan Wall, Shop Direct; Scott Woodhead, Lovingoutdoors.com; Simon Glanville, Store.

Switch Media snapped up by iomart

Liverpool-based digital agency Switch Media has been acquired by the iomart Group for £1.25m.

Morrisons linked to Iceland move

Supermarket giant Morrisons is one of several retailers reported to be weighing up an offer for Iceland Foods if the chance arises. The possibility of an auction for the frozen food business has been raised, with failed Icelandic bank Landsbanki poised to sell its majority stake.

SmartKem receives funding boost

High-tech materials company SmartKem has secured an undisclosed investment from Porton Capital Group and Finance Wales Investments.

Labour makes Blackpool conference return

Labour has confirmed it will hold its North West regional conference in Blackpool. The return to the seaside town follows the party's decision to drop the seaside location as a national conference venue in 2002.

Envirotyre calls in administrators

Cumbria tyre recycling business Envirotyre has been forced to close its doors after suffering a downturn in trade. The company, whose clients include more than 1,500 outlets in Scotland and the North of England, was placed in administration despite agreeing a restructuring deal with its landlords only months previously.

Bodycote reports solid quarter

Macclesfield thermal processing company Bodycote has reported a strong first quarter with revenues 19.2 per cent higher than in the same period last year.

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SEGRO sells Trafford Park site

Industrial property giant SEGRO has disposed of The Hives development, on Mosley Road Industrial Estate at Trafford Park, for an undisclosed sum.

Nolan Redshaw makes it five in Wigan

Property consultancy Nolan Redshaw has secured five lettings at industrial sites in Wigan – a sign that the market is recovering, according to the firm's Neil Higson.

Ducie deals as Splash signs 11

Urban Splash has completed on 11 new deals within its Manchester commercial portfolio, nine of them at Ducie House – one of chairman Tom Bloxham’s first investments in the city.

In Focus: Start-ups need sales income, not VC money

Start-up businesses frequently chase the dragon of venture capital money. But, argues Michael Taylor, they often need to sharpen up their sales skills first.

Talking Point: The royal wedding – bad for business?

Will the string of public holidays including the royal wedding cause businesses in the region to struggle? Gary Lee, head of BTG Restructuring in the North West, shares his thoughts.

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