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Who said there's no money in art? A report commissioned by the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA) and Tate Liverpool has revealed that the Turner Prize 2007 generated over £10m for the Merseyside economy. A mighty 71,800 people visited the exhibition at Tate Liverpool and over 3.6 million watched Turner Prize coverage on Channel 4. This was the first time the prize had been presented outside London since it began in 1984. 
Berry quits LDC North West LDC boss Grant Berry is bowing out of private equity to go into business. Following a lengthy career in corporate finance, Berry told Insider that he is pursuing a long-held dream to work on the other side of the fence. "My father ran his own business and for many years I have had the ambition to do the same. I'd like to find two or three small businesses with high-growth ambitions and put into practice what I've learnt. I'm prepared to invest my own money to become a shareholder." Berry joined LDC from PricewaterhouseCoopers in 2000 to establish the Manchester office with Andy Ball and has held a number of national roles in the organisation. After launching the company's presence in Scotland he returned to head the 11-strong Manchester team in January this year. "I've got a blank sheet of paper - but that is part of the excitement," he added. "You have to follow your heart with these decisions."
Bank ready in Bootle Alliance & Leicester's Bootle site redevelopment has been given the go-ahead after planning permission was granted, giving architecture firm Carey Jones the green light to start work on the local landmark. Work will now start on the west side of the building and the project will be phased over the next three years to ensure minimum disruption to staff and customers. The seven-storey administration block will be demolished, while the 22,000 sq m operations block and other buildings will be refurbished and upgraded. The new site is specifically designed to be more environmentally friendly, with the installation of solar shading and using green materials where possible.
Shop Direct heads small North West contingent Littlewoods Shop Direct is the only North West business to have made it into the top 20 of the Sunday Times’ Top Track 100, to be published on Sunday. The Liverpool-based home shopping giant came in at 19th and was joined further down the list by Warrington-based European Metal Recycling, Matalan, Betfred, Enterprise and Bibby Line Group. The table, now in its seventh year, ranks the UK’s top 100 privately-held companies by sales. Most of the companies on the league table are based in London and the South East.
Co-op pays big Manchester's The Co-operative Group, in a bullish mood following an 8 per cent rise in profits, is to pay out a record dividend of £38.1m - almost double last year's payment of £19.6m. In a scheme that replaced loyalty cards in 2006, members receive a cash payment based on points earned in trading at any of the group's businesses, including food stores, travel agencies, pharmacies and funerals, as well as The Co-operative Bank and The Co-operative Insurance.
Warrington-based caterer Taylor Shaw had a busy week, merging with Watford-based Caterplus Services and simultaneously acquiring Newcastle-based Hospitality Catering Services, immediately establishing a nationwide presence for the new group, which will have a £35m turnover and cover 350 locations. The deal was structured and project managed by BTG McInnes Corporate Finance, funded by Yorkshire Bank and supported by existing Caterplus investors led by YFM Private Equity. Taylor Shaw managing partner Peter Taylor will join the Caterplus group executive management team.
Joyous yet sensible quote of the week "Business have told us that, while we are travelling in the right direction, there is room for improvement to create the right environment for business to thrive." Mike Taylor, now director of investment and enterprise of Liverpool Vision - formerly known as Liverpool Vision - as a new survey found that the city can finally lay claim to its "business-friendly" tagline.
Harsh but fair quote of the week NWDA boss Steven Broomhead attacked government proposals for integrating employment and skills, saying the planned machinery of government changes will "severely dilute the rationale" behind the agenda that he supports. "It will add more complexity than clarity and will be driven by government department rather than economic and employment lead," he said.
View from the nationals It’s been a while since anyone in London said Barrow-in-Furness was “having a moment” but that’s exactly what property writer Jayne Dowle said this week in The Times. Fear not, though, the Islington set won’t be decamping to Cumbria just yet. As we’re informed, “the comeback is not happening through cappuccino bars and lifestyle hype, but with hard economic investment” from BAE Systems, Kimberley Clark et al. To sum up – Barrow’s one of few places where house prices didn’t go crazy in the boom, so prices are still climbing steadily.
Canapé won't pay Insider’s been trawling the region for the best in corporate catering this week, but we were a little scared by the sushi at the launch of the new Barclays office on 20 Chapel Street, although the prawns were nice. In fact, we sloped off to hang out with a group of actuaries – no, really - at a retirement do in the Port of Liverpool building and tucked into the best cheesecake and chocolate creations known to man.
Life on the Edge Whatever happened to Panacea's plans to open up in Alderley Edge, at the nitespot formerly known as Brasingamen's? Cheshire-based punters need despair no longer, for news reaches Insider this week that the £3m refurbishment, designed by maverick Bernard Carroll, is well on course for a September opening. So, if Cheshire's beautiful people want to leer at PR girls or watch footballers scrapping - or "enjoy a sanctuary of design decadence" as the press release says - of an evening they won't have to trek all the way into Manchester to do it. Which is nice.
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