Business News

City of Wolverhampton Council is set to invest more than £118million in new homes over the next five years. A report going before the Council’s Cabinet next Wednesday (January 19) will ask for approval through the Housing Revenue Account Business Plan to fund development schemes across the city.

Applications are now open for Severn Trent Community Fund’s new focus to celebrate its partnership with Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games.

This spring, the Community Fund is looking to fund local community projects that specifically aim to take care of nature and the environment.

Bill Gray, President, Building Solutions – North America and a member of Uponor’s Executive Committee has decided to pursue new challenges outside Uponor. He will leave his position on the Executive Committee and the President as of 10 January 2022. In order to assure a seamless transition, Bill will be available to support Uponor’s management until mid-March 2022.

The award-winning digital agency has appointed Mell Russon from School of Code as well as Sam Bacon, Liberty Mason, and Harry Wilkins; each of whom are recent graduates from Birmingham City University. Championing young talent in the marketing and tech industry, Cake pledges its support to recent graduates by helping them into the world of work with its promise to hire three new graduates every year.

Work has completed to relocate shops from ramps leading to platforms 8-11 allowing more space for rail travellers to move from the concourse to trains. The addition of shops to the ramp in the 1980s and increasing passenger numbers since had led to bottlenecks and crowds forming when trains were announced.

EML Payments  powers REPX's  innovative digital and physical payment product for fans in Europe of the Italian Serie A TIM soccer team, AS Roma. The beloved Yellow And Reds (Giallorossi) Head Coach is José Mourinho.

Leading Sussex law firm Mayo Wynne Baxter has joined West Midlands-based legal and professional services group, Ampa, as regional legal anchor brand for the South East.  

The merger will take Ampa to a turnover above £100m for 2022/23 and a group of more than 1,100 people immediately.

Andy Salmon, serial entrepreneur and Senior Lecturer in International Business at Birmingham City University Business School discusses the everyday challenges small and medium-sized enterprises are facing in the current regional business environment and the business support opportunities they need to take advantage of to ensure sustainable business growth.

Hundreds of workers across the West Midlands are being given the opportunity to upskill thanks to a new initiative by The Black Country & Marches Institute of Technology (IoT). Companies can now access specialist training for members of staff aged 19+ on one of three Level 4 technical courses in Automated Machining, Robotics and Quality Assurance.

Midlands housing association, Nehemiah Housing has kicked off 2022 by recruiting a new member of staff for a key role within the organisation.

Marcia Cunnison has been appointed to the role of Customer Engagement Officer. She brings to the role an extensive background totalling over 25 years in customer service, 13 years in quality management and six years in both the social and private housing arena.

Full service content marketing agency, HDY Agency has welcomed fine jewellery, luxury cufflinks, and accessories brand, Deakin & Francis, to its portfolio of clients after winning a competitive pitch process.

As Britain's oldest family jeweller - established in 1786 in the heart of Birmingham’s Jewellery Quarter - Deakin & Francis has forged a name for itself as a leading manufacturer of ladies’ fine jewellery, and gentlemen’s luxury accessories.

A new podcast series that delves into the stories of some of the region’s leading and up-and-coming CEOs has been launched by Greater Birmingham Chambers of Commerce today.

CEO Stories is hosted by Henrietta Brealey, who last year became the youngest chief executive in the Chamber’s history.

XPO Logistics, Inc. has announced that Troy Cooper has stepped down from his role as president, effective December 27, 2021. Mr. Cooper will continue working with the company as a senior advisor through June 30, 2022.

“With the spin-off of GXO earlier this year, and in light of the progress we’ve made transforming XPO into a pure-play transportation company, Troy and I agreed this was a natural time for him to step down,” said Brad Jacobs, chairman and chief executive officer.

A convenience store in Northumberland Park has been issued with a three-month licence suspension after council Trading Standards officers found that it sold alcohol to a minor and stocked illegal tobacco and alcohol products.

Tiger Food & Wine on Lordship Lane will also have to fulfil a string of extra conditions once the licence is restored.

A new consumer behaviour change campaign named ‘Planet Pledge’ is inviting every household in the UK to sign up to a 66-day environmental pledge starting on 17th January with the ambition of encouraging long-term pro-planet habits that will get the nation to net zero as much as two years before the Government’s 2050 target.

The campaign is based on research revealing that 79 per-cent of people in the UK would like to do more at home to tackle climate change but can’t get into the habit of doing so.

Two thirds of professionals have stated that they will actively be seeking work in the New Year – with 59% feeling ‘very confident’ about job opportunities in their sector, despite fresh calls from the Prime Minister to work from home.

Contrary to popular belief that the Great Resignation has already taken place in the height of the pandemic, recruitment firm Robert Walters believes that a large majority of white-collar workers have in fact held on to their jobs in anticipation of their December bonus and January pay rise.