News | Page 20

Universities in Newcastle will be able to apply for a slice of £15m of funding provided by the UK Government in order to establish new university enterprise zones in the eight main UK cities, a news report in the local business media has revealed.

Vertu, a Gateshead-headquartered motor retailer, managed to create no less than 103 new jobs in the North East region last year by extending its range of dealerships, a news report in the local business media has revealed.

Encore Envelopes, an envelope manufacturer based in Washington, Tyne and Wear, has revealed plans to create up to 40 new positions following the successful acquisition of the UK arm of a Spanish competitor, a brand new report in the local business media has revealed.

Supermarket giant ASDA is proposing to build a brand-new 45,000 sq ft store in Durham, that, if completed, would lead to the creation of up to 400 new jobs in the area, a recent news report has revealed. The new store, which would also include a petrol station and 365 space care park, represents a multimillion-pound investment and would provide a major long-term boost to the local economy.

Clive Owen & Co, an independent North East accountancy firm that was established in Darlington in 1983, has just revealed that it’s extended its team by recruiting six new trainees to support growth as it celebrates its 30th year in business. The company has recently expanded its services into education, grant aid application and payroll while extending its IT facilities.

Discount retailer 99p Stores has revealed plans to invest a further £25m in opening up to 70 new stores, a media news report informs us. The extra available funding will be used for an accelerated new store opening programme from 2014 to take the chain’s portfolio past 300 outlets. In the year to 31 January 2013, 99p Stores boosted sales by another 26 per cent to £341m, soaring from £112m in 2009.

Plans put forward by British Engines for extending its 269,000 sq ft Tyneside base by nearly 21,000 sq have been recommended for approval by Newcastle City Council’s planning committee, a news report in the local media has revealed. The application, due to go before the planning committee on 6 December 2013, is also seeking consent for the demolition of more than 5,400 sq ft of existing industrial space to make way for the extension of the site.

A brand new offshore survival training centre is set to be built by AIS Training on North Tyneside in order to cope with the growing demand for training courses from the offshore industry, a recent report in the local business media has revealed.

Hellens Group will start construction work this week on a brand new £2.6m West Chirton project that will provide a 34,000 sq ft, 17-unit space for businesses close to the A19, a news report in the local media has revealed. The project is the first speculative business park scheme north of the Tyne developed since the start of the credit crunch and will employ more than 150 workers during the building phase, which is expected to be completed by June next year.

Construction work has started on a new holistic wellbeing centre for Hartlepool and District Hospice that, once completed, will provide a range of care and complementary therapies freeing up space in the existing hospice building which opened in 2004. According to a news report in the local business media, Gus Robinson Developments (GRD) has managed to win the contract for building the £550,000 facility over the next few months, the estimated completion date being set in spring 2014.

Support services contractor Carillion has managed to successfully bid for a 12-month contract awarded by Northumberland County Council for building the £25m Morpeth Northern Bypass, a news report in the local business media has revealed. Construction on the bypass is expected to start in January 2015 and it represents just one of £180m worth of wins announced by Carillion lately.

Profit warnings have risen by no less than 75% in Q3, 2013, across the North East region, a news report in the local business media has revealed. A new study by EY has found that seven warnings were made in the region between July and September 2013, making it the highest number recorded in a third quarter in the past five years.