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Guy Birkin is to transfer lace production to China with the loss of 70 jobs at its factory in Borrowash in January. 30-Dec-2004 Premier Profiles is to shed 30 of the 262 jobs at its windows factory in Doncaster. 30-Dec-2004 Quickframe Sales has ceased trading with the loss of about 50 jobs at its window factory in Huddersfield. 23-Dec-2004 Yuasa Batteries is planning to shed up to 220 of the 530 jobs at its battery factory in Ebbw Vale by next March. 20-Dec-2004 Anglian Water is considering plans to relocate its Huntingdon headquarters, in order to consolidate some of its seven local offices onto one site. 17-Dec-2004 The National Assembly for Wales has awarded a £2.5m grant to EnviroWales to help build a car battery recycling plant in Ebbw Vale by 2006, with the creation of 128 jobs. 17-Dec-2004 British Vita is to close the JGP Perrite plastics site at Littleborough near Rochdale, with the loss of 40 jobs. 16-Dec-2004 Wrexham County Borough Council is considering revised plans from HLC for the construction of a £27m waste processing plant at the Wrexham Industrial Estate, which would create about 80 jobs. 16-Dec-2004 Atraverda of Mansfield has received £4m in venture capital backing to manufacture bipolar lead-acid batteries using a new conductive ceramic, and plans to start production in South Wales next year. 15-Dec-2004 United Utilities is to shed 200 jobs in its electricity and water operations over the next three years, as part of a cost reduction programme. 15-Dec-2004 William Cook is to submit plans to build a steel castings plant at the Houghton Main site near Barnsley, which could create more than 400 jobs. 15-Dec-2004 Thames Water is to expand the 350-strong workforce in its engineering department with 90 new jobs over the next 12 months. 15-Dec-2004 Tanfield Group is raising a further £3m in a share placing to fund the expansion of its County Durham-based technical assembly business, including acquisitions and investment in equipment. 14-Dec-2004 BAe Systems is to shed more than 100 of the 244 jobs at its armoured vehicles factory in Telford. 13-Dec-2004 Areva T&D is to shed 219 of the 1,400 jobs at its plant in Stafford, in order to transfer production of electro-mechanical products to India. 10-Dec-2004 Pennon is to shed 100 of the 1,400 jobs at South West Water over the next five years, in order to meet efficiency standards. 10-Dec-2004 Ravensbourn Plastics is to close its manufacturing plant in Burton-upon-Trent with the loss of 50 jobs, and the moulding of crates and containers will be transferred to local firms. 10-Dec-2004 Carclo is to reduce the workforce at CTP Gills Cables in Lichfield from 220 to 100 and transfer the production of control cables to India, while the remaining technical and logistics operations will relocate to the outskirts of the town. 09-Dec-2004 Goodrich Actuation Systems is to close its aerospace components factory in Coventry in March with the loss of 68 jobs, in order to transfer production to its site in Wolverhampton. 09-Dec-2004 Amtico is considering plans to shed up to 85 jobs at its flooring factory in Coventry. 09-Dec-2004 Testlink has shed 36 jobs at its electrical engineering site in Poole, in order to transfer some of its repair work to the Czech Republic. 09-Dec-2004 Cooper & Roe is to shed up to 340 jobs at its textile factories in Nottingham and Sutton, following a fall in demand for knitwear. 09-Dec-2004 ALM Products is planning to expand the workforce at its aluminium components factory in Newton Aycliffe from 28 to 42. 08-Dec-2004 Victrex is planning to expand its UK production capacity for high-performance plastic materials by 1,000 tonnes a year. 08-Dec-2004 Mid Kent Water has been put up for sale by WestLB, with a valuation of about £150m. 07-Dec-2004 Invest NI is supporting a £3.2m investment by Moyola Precision Engineering at its engineered components business in Castledawson, which will create 27 new jobs. 06-Dec-2004 Fleming Agri-Products has announced a £1m expansion project at its farm machinery factory in Londonderry, with the creation of up to 20 jobs. 06-Dec-2004 Egger is seeking permission to expand its chipboard factory in Hexham and create a cluster of timber and forestry companies nearby, at a cost of up to £100m. 06-Dec-2004 Aga has closed the Troldahl fridge factory in Gateshead, with the loss of the remaining 30 jobs. 06-Dec-2004 Therma-Tru is to invest £7.5m in a new Sentinel doors production plant at Treforest, near Pontypridd, with the creation of 150 jobs. 06-Dec-2004 Flakt Woods is to shed 85 jobs in Colchester early next year, as part of a reorganisation that includes previously-announced plans to relocate its industrial fans business to a new £25m site at Cuckoo Farm. 06-Dec-2004 Vp is looking to spend up to £30m on acquisitions to expand its equipment rental business. 06-Dec-2004 Midven has invested a further £0.2m in Stationery Channel, and the Tamworth-based stationery wholesaling company will use some of the funds to recruit additional sales staff. 03-Dec-2004 HK Plastics is to close its plastic products factory in Runcorn this month, with the loss of 40 jobs. 03-Dec-2004 Tweddle Fabrications is seeking permission from Allerdale Council to relocate its steel fabrication business to Kirkbride Airfield, which would create 12 new jobs. 03-Dec-2004 Andor Technology is to expand the workforce at its Belfast-based scientific cameras business from 110 to 170 by the end of 2006. 02-Dec-2004 ConvaTec is to shed 150 of the 950 jobs at its medical products factory on Deeside over the next 12 months. 02-Dec-2004 Armstrong World Industries is looking into the possibility of closing its Teesside-based vinyl flooring factory, casting doubt on the future of 200 jobs. 01-Dec-2004 Rolls-Royce and Lufthansa are to set up an aircraft engine maintenance centre at Erfurt in Germany in 2007, with the creation of 500 jobs. 30-Nov-2004 Kellogg Brown & Root of Leatherhead is said to be planning to shed up to 150 jobs, as part of a reorganisation of its global business. 29-Nov-2004 GKN Sheepbridge Stokes is to shed 96 of the 750 jobs at its cylinder linings plant in Chesterfield by the end of the year, following the loss of a major contract. 29-Nov-2004 Caparo Engineering is to close its Willenhall Manufacturing and Whitehouse Hand Tools plant in Wednesfield with the loss of about 150 jobs. 29-Nov-2004 Imerys is to shed up to 80 jobs at its china clay operations in Cornwall next year. 26-Nov-2004 Get Group is seeking permission to expand its 300,000 sq ft electrical products distribution centre in West Bromwich by 20% over the next six months. 25-Nov-2004 Miba Tyzack is to close its steel discs factory at Green Lane in Sheffield in 2007, with the loss of about 150 jobs, in order to transfer production to Slovakia. 25-Nov-2004 Stanley Tools is to set up a new 20,000 sq ft head office for about 100 staff at Sheffield Business Park next year. 24-Nov-2004 Rapra Technology is planning to create 50 new jobs at its Shawbury and Billingham research sites over the next four years. 24-Nov-2004 Enfis, the Swansea-based manufacturer of light-emitting diode modules, has secured a £0.9m cash injection which will involve Finance Wales taking an equity stake. 22-Nov-2004 Boulter Buderus is planning to close its boiler factory in Ipswich at the end of next year, with the loss of 96 jobs, in order to transfer work to sites in Worcestershire and Derbyshire. 22-Nov-2004 Graphite Capital is looking to sell Applied Energy Products, the manufacturer of Xpelair air conditioning systems and Redring showers, for about £45m. 22-Nov-2004 Defra has announced a £284m scheme to help companies dispose of waste more efficiently, with funds going to organisations such as Envirowise, the Carbon Trust and the National Industrial Symbiosis Programme. 22-Nov-2004 Richards, the Aberdeen-based textile mill, has gone into liquidation with the loss of up to 196 jobs. 19-Nov-2004 BBI Holdings, the rapid testing company, is planning to expand the capacity at its Cardiff factory over the next six months, and is also seeking a manufacturing presence in the US. 17-Nov-2004 Spectrum Architectural Coatings is creating 40 new jobs in Tipton, as part of a £2.5m expansion of its powder-coated aluminium frames business. 16-Nov-2004 Hillarys Blinds is to create 26 jobs in Nottingham and ten in Washington, Tyne & Wear, in order to expand its made-to-measure blinds service. 16-Nov-2004 United Utilities, the water and power supplier, has won a £427m outsourcing contract to deliver services to Thurrock council in Essex. 15-Nov-2004 Invest NI is to provide financial assistance to NC Engineering for the £1.5m expansion of its engineering products factory in Armagh, which will create 25 jobs. 15-Nov-2004 BAe Systems is to shed up to 63 jobs at its naval shipyards at Scotstoun and Govan. 15-Nov-2004 GKN Aerospace is to create 60 new jobs at its site in East Cowes, having won a £93m military contract. 15-Nov-2004 Corus is to shed 78 of the 992 jobs at its tinplate plant at Trostre, Llanelli, over the next 12 months. 12-Nov-2004 Dunlop Aerospace is to shed 70 of the 800 jobs at its aerospace components factory in Coventry by the end of the year. 12-Nov-2004 WHS Halo is seeking permission to expand its PVCu windows factory at Minworth in the West Midlands, which would create 140 new jobs. 12-Nov-2004 David Nieper has extended its clothing workshops and studios in Alfreton, and hopes to create 100 new jobs eventually. 12-Nov-2004 TT Electronics has sold the site of its AEI Cables factory in Bootle to a Sefton regeneration agency, casting doubt over the future of 100 jobs. 11-Nov-2004 KeyMed is to create 100 extra jobs at its surgical instruments business in Southend, in order to expand into the US market. 11-Nov-2004 Fenner is planning to invest a further £5m in its Chinese conveyor belt operations, in order to benefit from the growth in mining in Asia. 11-Nov-2004 Polatis of Cambridge has secured a £2.5m investment from Prelude, 3i, Alta Berkeley and Eontech to fund the development of its optical switching business. 10-Nov-2004 Baltic Pine is to shed 58 of the 320 jobs at its timber conservatory manufacturing business in Cornwall. 10-Nov-2004 Scott Health & Safety is to create up to 25 new jobs in Skelmersdale, having won a £40m contract to supply gas masks to the Ministry of Defence. 10-Nov-2004 Woodward Diesel Systems is to shed up to 160 of the 235 jobs at its Cheltenham plant over the next 18 months. 10-Nov-2004 Raymarine is planning a flotation by the end of the year with a valuation of up to £125m, in order to help expand its navigation equipment business. 09-Nov-2004 Ritek Corporation is to close its CD manufacturing plant in west Belfast with the loss of 64 jobs, in order to transfer the work to Omagh. 09-Nov-2004 FKI is planning to withdraw from its DeWind turbine business, which employs 316 staff, due to an increase in competitive pressure in the wind turbine market. 09-Nov-2004 Newton Derby is to close its generators factory in Derby with the loss of 37 jobs, in order to transfer the work to its sister firm near Leeds. 09-Nov-2004 Renfrewshire Council has approved plans from Euro Pools to build a swimming pool floors factory at Queen Elizabeth Avenue in Glasgow, with the creation of 20 jobs. 05-Nov-2004 Enesco is planning to shed 28 of the 84 jobs at its giftware factory in Workington. 04-Nov-2004 Pittards is looking to sell its leather treatment site at Kinghorn in the Scottish Borders, in order to concentrate production in Yeovil and Leeds. 04-Nov-2004 Anglian Water is planning to shed 200 jobs from its 3,500-strong workforce, but has not yet decided where the cuts will occur. 03-Nov-2004 Stannah Stairlifts is to open a new £3.5m factory at Newburn Riverside, near Newcastle, in May 2005, and 160 staff will relocate from four existing sites. 02-Nov-2004 Carbo is to close its industrial abrasives factory in Manchester with the loss of 33 jobs. 28-Oct-2004 Planet Group is to open a new £2m conservatories factory near Accrington next month, with the creation of 50 jobs. 27-Oct-2004 Babcock Naval Services is to shed up to 97 jobs at the Faslane Naval Base by next July. 26-Oct-2004 Lordan UK is to create 70 jobs at its new air conditioning components factory in Caerphilly over the next three years. 26-Oct-2004 IR Security & Safety is to shed 100 of the 232 jobs at its factory in Walsall, in order to transfer production overseas. 25-Oct-2004 BAe Systems has announced a £500m deal to outsource the supply and management of its contract technical staff to Xchanging. 25-Oct-2004 Royal Doulton has received a £70m takeover offer from Waterford Wedgwood of Ireland. 25-Oct-2004 Ahlstrom is to shed 15 of the 220 jobs at its high-performance fibre materials plant at Chirnside near Berwick. 22-Oct-2004 Newby Progress Foundry has closed its Cobridge works in North Staffordshire with the loss of about 20 jobs. 22-Oct-2004 Cirbo is expected to shed 72 jobs at its precision tool bits factory in Bodmin, as US parent company Kennametal is planning to close the site. 22-Oct-2004 Hydra Group, the supplier of screens and filters to the water industry, is planning to build a new £2m factory at Indian Queens in Cornwall by next July, with the creation of up to 33 jobs. 22-Oct-2004 Elliotts is to shed about 70 of the 150 jobs at its phone mast manufacturing business in Powys next month. 21-Oct-2004 Perkins Engines is planning to shed 300 of the 3,000 jobs at its engines factory in Peterborough. 20-Oct-2004 National Assembly for Wales has awarded a £0.2m grant to Overhall Aerospace to establish a new factory to produce aircraft interior equipment in Llanelli, and up to 50 jobs will be created. 19-Oct-2004 Angus & Ross has raised £2.2m in a share placing on Aim to fund mining exploration projects in China, Brazil, Greenland and Australia. 19-Oct-2004 Deeside Furniture is to shed up to 70 of the 500 jobs at its factory near Holywell over the coming months. 18-Oct-2004 Rohill Bodies, the Andover-based manufacturer of mobility buses, has been bought out of administration by a management team, saving 30 jobs. 18-Oct-2004 Universal Joineries, the Newcastle-based window manufacturer, has gone into liquidation with the loss of 60 jobs. 15-Oct-2004 Furlong Flooring is to set up a £3m carpet distribution warehouse in Measham, Leicestershire, next year, with the creation of 60 jobs. 15-Oct-2004 Roca UK is seeking permission for a £1m extension at its bathrooms business in Coalville. 15-Oct-2004 The East Midlands Development Agency has sold a 62-acre site at the former Shirebrook Colliery near Mansfield to Sports World International, and a sporting goods distribution centre will be built with the creation of 1,000 jobs. 14-Oct-2004 Bendalls is to relocate its Carlisle-based engineering business to a new £2.7m factory on the Kingstown Industrial Estate next August, and its existing site will be redeveloped as a retail park. 13-Oct-2004 Benji & Co has confirmed plans to close its garden machinery supply business in Llanidloes with the loss of 28 jobs, in order to transfer the work to Poland. 13-Oct-2004 Johnson Matthey is to shed 50 of the 300 jobs at its pottery division in Stoke-on-Trent, following a fall in sales. 13-Oct-2004 Marshall Specialist Vehicles is to create 40 new jobs in Cambridge, as it is part of a consortium that has been selected as preferred bidder for a £1bn contract to provide support vehicles to the armed forces. 13-Oct-2004 Horwich Castings, the manufacturer of railway castings, is to shed 85 jobs at its foundry in Bolton. 12-Oct-2004 Chemitrol Process Equipment, the Teesside-based supplier of nitrogen generators and air driers, has ceased trading. 12-Oct-2004 Norman & Underwood is to relocate its glazing business and about 120 staff to an undisclosed site elsewhere in Leicester by next summer, to make way for the Shires shopping centre development. 11-Oct-2004 Wellcome Trust and the government are to invest a further £120m in the Diamond synchrotron science facility in Oxfordshire, in order to increase the number of experiments that can take place. 11-Oct-2004 Bombardier is to shed 560 of the 5,500 jobs at its Shorts aerospace business in Belfast by next July. 08-Oct-2004 Federal Mogul is to shed 120 of the 318 jobs at its iron castings plant at Lydney in the Forest of Dean. 08-Oct-2004 Vetco Gray Controls, the supplier of subsea production control systems, is to shed 95 jobs in Bristol. 07-Oct-2004 Yorkshire Moulding is to create 20 jobs at its site in Brighouse over the next three months, following the transfer of sister firm Keith Newmark from Burnley later this month. 06-Oct-2004 Campus Clothing is to relocate its clothing manufacturing business and 17 staff to a larger site in Hinckley later this month. 06-Oct-2004 Finnforest UK, the timber supplier, is to move to a newly-redeveloped facility at the port of Hull, as part of a £0.9m expansion programme. 05-Oct-2004 Chubb has confirmed plans to close its fire extinguisher factory at Ferndale in the Rhondda next year, with the loss of 150 jobs, in order to transfer production to China. 04-Oct-2004 Tyco Thermal Controls is to close its factory in Washington next March with the loss of 53 jobs, and the remaining 55 administration and sales staff will be relocated. 04-Oct-2004 Landis & Gyr is considering plans to relocate the production of gas and electricity meters and up to 84 jobs from Telford to Stockport. 04-Oct-2004 Renishaw, the precision measurement company, is planning to set up a fourth factory in Stroud, using a 100,000 sq ft building on the Stroudwater Business Park. 04-Oct-2004 Tom Young Knitwear and Moodie Cashmere have both closed their knitwear operations in Jedburgh, with the loss of almost 50 jobs. 01-Oct-2004 Anker, the Bolton-based supplier of cash registers with 1,300 staff in 11 countries, has been put up for sale with a valuation of more than £100m. 30-Sep-2004 Matsushita Electric has issued redundancy notices to 500 staff at its Panasonic television factory in Cardiff, as part of previously-announced plans to transfer production to the Czech Republic. 29-Sep-2004 DeepStream Technologies is to start manufacturing miniaturised 3D digital sensors at Bangor in North Wales next year, and will eventually create 120 jobs. 28-Sep-2004 Dynex Semiconductor is to shed 45 of the 225 jobs at its power products factory in Lincoln by the end of the year. 28-Sep-2004 Chesterfield Cylinders is to relocate its gas cylinders manufacturing business and 40 jobs from Chesterfield to Sheffield in March, following a management buy-out. 28-Sep-2004 James Grove & Sons, the button manufacturer, has awarded a £3m contract to A&H Construction to build a new factory in Halesowen. 27-Sep-2004 Sangers is to shed 30 of the 120 jobs at its photographic products business in Birmingham. 24-Sep-2004 HLC is creating 60 new jobs in preparation for the reopening of its waste recovery centre at Crymlyn Burrows in Neath Port Talbot. 24-Sep-2004 Alex Smiles is to invest a further £1m in improved composting and recycling facilities in Sunderland next year. 23-Sep-2004 Fife Council has secured a £70m grant from the Scottish Executive to expand its recycling schemes, including four new recycling centres in St Andrews, Tayport, Dalgety Bay and Levenmouth. 23-Sep-2004 Smiths Group is looking to spend up to £1.4bn on acquisitions over the next few years to expand its operations in aerospace systems, medical devices and detection equipment. 23-Sep-2004 Mercury Recycling is to invest £1m in the trebling of its capacity to recycle fluorescent light tubes. 22-Sep-2004 The Ministry of Defence is planning to relocate support services for the Search and Rescue Sea King Helicopters from RAF St Mawgan in Cornwall to Portsmouth, with the loss of 130 jobs. 22-Sep-2004 BlindCraft, the Edinburgh-based manufacturer of beds and PVC windows with 120 staff, may have to close following a review of the site by the city council. 21-Sep-2004 Macron Safety Systems is to relocate its fire protection operations and more than 100 staff from three sites to a larger site on the Gapton Hill Industrial Estate in Yarmouth over the next three months. 21-Sep-2004 Hawick Knitwear is to close its branch in Kelso at the end of the month, with the loss of 13 jobs. 17-Sep-2004 HMD Pumps is to create 20 new jobs at its industrial pumps factory in Eastbourne, having been selected as the European manufacturing base for its US parent company Sundyne. 17-Sep-2004 Eaga Partnership expects to double its 750-strong nationwide workforce over the next five years, having announced plans to launch a commercial solar heating division and roll out its Iguana central heating operation. 17-Sep-2004 The Ministry of Defence is to relocate 340 RAF staff from Lossiemouth to RAF Marham in Norfolk, and 50 civilian jobs will be lost. 17-Sep-2004 Harboro Rubber is planning to relocate its 120 staff to an alternative location in Market Harborough, clearing the way for a £40m homes and offices development on its existing site. 17-Sep-2004 DDA Lifts of Newton Aycliffe has secured a six-figure funding package from Northern Enterprise to expand its lift manufacturing business. 16-Sep-2004 Fruit of the Loom is to close its textile sewing operation in Londonderry next year, with the loss of 150 jobs. 16-Sep-2004 Scottish Enterprise Fife is trying to secure the future of NOI, the troubled wind turbine manufacturer with 30 staff in Kirkcaldy. 13-Sep-2004 Dwr Cymru, the Welsh Water company, has awarded a £1.5bn a year water and sewerage services contract to United Utilities. 13-Sep-2004 Turner & Jarvis is to close its knitwear factories in Hinckley and Leicester, with the loss of 95 jobs. 10-Sep-2004 Dunlop Hiflex is considering plans to transfer the manufacture of hydraulic fittings from Salisbury to South Africa, with the loss of up to 90 jobs. 09-Sep-2004 Cobham is to shed up to 160 jobs at its FR-HiTEMP aircraft component operations in Hampshire, Dorset and Devon. 09-Sep-2004 Princess Yachts is creating 56 new jobs at its luxury yachts factory in Plymouth. 08-Sep-2004 Charnwood Borough Council has announced plans to build a £1m recycling centre in Loughborough. 07-Sep-2004 Hi-Lite Window Company of Hampshire has gone into liquidation with the loss of up to 50 jobs. 07-Sep-2004 Eurocell Profiles is to build a new £5m plastics factory at its site in Alfreton by early next year, with the creation of 40 jobs. 07-Sep-2004 Owen Mumford is seeking permission to extend its medical equipment factory in Chipping Norton from about 38,000 to 65,000 sq ft. 06-Sep-2004 Corus is in discussions to sell an 80% stake in its Teesside steel plant to Duferco of Switzerland, in order to save 2,000 jobs. 06-Sep-2004 Charles Paisley & Sons is planning to close its leather factory in Langholm with the loss of 60 jobs. 03-Sep-2004 Johnson Matthey is planning to close its gold and silver bullion refinery in Royston next spring, with the loss of 85 jobs. 02-Sep-2004 Diperk is planning to set up a UK headquarters in Peterborough with the creation of 100 jobs, in order to supply parts for Perkins Engines. 01-Sep-2004 Integra Office Solutions is to relocate its headquarters to a new 13,000 sq ft office at the Celtic Springs Business Park in Newport. 26-Aug-2004 Offshore Crane Engineering of Aberdeen has gone into provisional liquidation with the loss of 24 jobs from the 75-strong workforce. 25-Aug-2004 Thermacore Europe, the electronics cooling specialist, is to create up to 16 jobs at its base in Ashington over the next six months, following a recent investment in a new machining centre. 24-Aug-2004 Select Window & Door Systems is looking to set up a new factory in the Maldon area to make conservatory roofs, but may seek a site in Wales instead due to labour shortages in Essex. 24-Aug-2004 X-Fab UK is to create up to 80 jobs at its site in Plymouth next year, following a recent £20m investment in new equipment. 23-Aug-2004 Kingfield Heath, the supplier of office products, has put itself up for sale with an estimated value of £90m. 23-Aug-2004 Ensinger, the plastic components distributor and machinist, is considering sites between Llantrisant and Bridgend for a planned new warehouse and factory. 20-Aug-2004 Meritor Suspension Systems is planning to shed up to 170 of the 240 jobs at its springs factory in Sheffield. 19-Aug-2004 Fraser Manufacturing, the Aberdeenshire-based agricultural equipment supplier, is to close with the loss of 43 jobs. 19-Aug-2004 Moorcroft is to shed 51 jobs at its pottery in Burslem, following a fall in sales. 18-Aug-2004 H Orton & Sons is to close its shoe factory in Leicester with the loss of 37 jobs. 17-Aug-2004 Breconshire Hosiery is to close the sock division at its factory in Leicester, with the loss of up to 40 jobs. 17-Aug-2004 The University of Wales in Swansea has secured a £9m grant from the Engineering & Physical Sciences Research Council to help the School of Engineering develop new engineering processes. 16-Aug-2004 Qinetiq has confirmed plans to close an aircraft testing base at Llanbedr in North Wales in October, with the loss of up to 140 jobs. 16-Aug-2004 Laird Security Hardware is to shed 43 jobs at its security products manufacturing business at Witham in Essex over the next two months. 16-Aug-2004 Heil Trailer International is to close its oil tankers factory in Bilston by the end of the year, with the loss of up to 100 jobs, and a service and sales facility will be opened elsewhere in the region. 13-Aug-2004 Carter Retail Equipment has secured a £11m investment from parent group CTI to relocate its Birmingham-based refrigerated display cabinets factory to Kitts Green. 12-Aug-2004 Amdega is to shed 16 joinery jobs at its conservatory manufacturing business in Darlington, following a £0.75m investment in new equipment. 12-Aug-2004 Applied Optical Technologies is planning to shed an unspecified number of the 140 jobs at its holographic security products business in Washington, Tyne & Wear. 11-Aug-2004 Timberland Motorhomes is looking to relocate its factory to a larger site, and suitable locations are being sought in North Lincolnshire. 11-Aug-2004 Rolls-Royce has announced plans to invest £45m at its aircraft engine repair plant in East Kilbride, securing the future of more than 1,000 jobs. 11-Aug-2004 Brambles is to close the headquarters of its Cleanaway waste business in London's Docklands with the loss of about 20 jobs, in order to transfer the work to Belgium. 11-Aug-2004 Lancashire County Council has announced proposals to build a waste plant at Preston Dock, which would handle up to 100,000 tons of household waste a year. 09-Aug-2004 Graziano Trasmissioni is to close its tractor gears factory in Doncaster at the end of next year, with the loss of 207 jobs. 06-Aug-2004 Scottish Water is to invest £152m in improvements to the water infrastructure across the Highlands and Northern Isles over the next three years, including £70m to build new water-treatment works. 05-Aug-2004 SASH UK is planning to create up to 150 jobs in Grimethorpe, having secured a deal to sell conservatories to the US. 05-Aug-2004 Balcas is to close its timber production plant in Magherafelt, County Londonderry, with the loss of 33 jobs. 03-Aug-2004 Caldeira, the Merseyside-based cushion manufacturer, is to open a factory in China. 02-Aug-2004 Hoval is to relocate part of its pressure vessels manufacturing operation from Newark to Lincoln over the next two years. 02-Aug-2004 Babcock International is to shed 290 jobs at the Rosyth dockyard in Fife, reducing the workforce to 1,500. 26-Jul-2004 Aqualisa, the shower supplier with an estimated value of £100m, has been put up for sale by Baxi. 26-Jul-2004 Lewing is expected to close its clothing factory in Nantwich with the loss of 100 jobs, having applied for planning permission to build houses on the site. 15-Jul-2004 McBride is planning to shed some of the 800 jobs at its household products plant in Middleton. 14-Jul-2004 Dyno-Rod, the drain clearing company with 89 franchisees, is planning to raise more than £40m in a flotation on Aim. 14-Jul-2004 New Balance, the Cumbria-based sportswear manufacturer, is to create 25 new jobs in product development, design and marketing over the next six months. 12-Jul-2004 Adria is to shed 58 jobs at its hosiery factories in Strabane, Londonderry and Newry. 12-Jul-2004 Corus is to close its Sankey Laminations factory in Bilston by March 2005, with the loss of up to 190 jobs. 12-Jul-2004 Advantage West Midlands is in discussions with Telford & Wrekin Council, Polymer Training and Rapra Technology, about the possibility of setting up a National Polymer Innovation Centre. 09-Jul-2004 Wenban-Smith is to close its joinery operation in Worthing with the loss of about 25 jobs. 09-Jul-2004 MFI is to recruit 60 temporary staff at its Hygena furniture factory in Stockton, while 115 temporary staff are being made permanent. 09-Jul-2004 Numatic has awarded a £2m contract to RG Spiller to extend its vacuum cleaners factory in Chard. 08-Jul-2004 Ebac is creating 60 new jobs at its water cooler factory in Bishop Auckland. 08-Jul-2004 NXT, the developer of loudspeaker technology, is looking to raise £0.6m from the sale of its manufacturing operations and will close its London office and transfer the work to Huntingdon. 07-Jul-2004 Mendip District Council has approved plans from Thales, the French-owned communications systems company, for the extension of its building in Wells, which would involve the transfer of work from Weston-super-Mare. 06-Jul-2004 CGI International, the Haydock-based specialist glass manufacturer, has completed a £14m refinancing deal with Dunedin Capital Partners. 06-Jul-2004 Police5, the satellite tracking company, is to set up a new customer service office in Caerphilly, with the creation of up to 17 jobs. 05-Jul-2004 Molins is to reorganise its tobacco machinery operations with the loss of about 250 jobs in the UK, Italy, Brazil, China and the US. 05-Jul-2004 Lappet Manufacturing is to shed about 90 jobs at its headscarfs factory in Carlisle. 02-Jul-2004 VA Tech Peebles Transformers is planning to close its engineering plant in Edinburgh, with the loss of up to 225 jobs. 02-Jul-2004 Corus Engineering Steels is to invest a further £10m at its specialist steels operations in Rotherham, Stocksbridge and Wolverhampton, in order to increase production capacity for the aerospace market. 01-Jul-2004 Chubb Fire is considering plans to close its fire extinguisher factory at Ferndale in the Rhondda with the loss of 150 jobs, in order to transfer production to China. 01-Jul-2004 Irvin-GQ, the parachute manufacturer, is creating up to 200 new jobs following its previously-announced relocation from Blackmill to a new £5m factory in Bridgend. 25-Jun-2004 Office Depot is creating 100 telesales jobs at its office supplies business in Andover. 25-Jun-2004 Cannon & Stokes is to create 40 new jobs at its aerospace components factory in Leicester, taking the workforce to 110. 25-Jun-2004 Kent County Council is to consider plans from Southern Water for a £80m wastewater scheme in Thanet. 23-Jun-2004 Equity Shoes is to shed 20 jobs from the 220-strong workforce at its shoe factory in Leicester in August. 23-Jun-2004 Alderley is planning to double the 35-strong workforce at its recently-acquired SMS hydraulics business in Great Yarmouth over the next three years. 22-Jun-2004 ThruVision of Oxfordshire has secured a £0.75m investment from Circus Capital and Rainbow Seed Fund to fund the commercial development of its terahertz imager products. 18-Jun-2004 Aker Kvaerner is to shed about 50 jobs at its engineering services operation in Stockton over the next few months. 18-Jun-2004 Thames Water is to shed 200 jobs at its meter reading and administration call centre in Swindon. 18-Jun-2004 Rohill Bodies has closed its mobility buses production line in Andover with the loss of 47 jobs. 18-Jun-2004 City of York Council is to launch a project to design a £6m eco-friendly waste depot near James Street. 17-Jun-2004 John T Metcalfe is to create 12 new jobs on Teesside over the next three years, due to rising demand for its Metflex waterproofing system. 16-Jun-2004 Domnick Hunter is to create 70 new jobs at its process filtration business in County Durham, as part of a £4.5m investment programme. 16-Jun-2004 Flymo is to shed up to 25 jobs at its garden machinery factory in Newton Aycliffe. 16-Jun-2004 CompAir Reavell is planning to relocate its Ipswich-based manufacturing operation over the next two years, having sold its existing site to Fairview Homes. 16-Jun-2004 J Barbour & Sons is to invest £1m in the expansion of its clothing warehouse and distribution centre in South Shields, with the creation of 33 jobs. 15-Jun-2004 Antone is to consolidate its shop display manufacturing operation at its site in Braunstone Frith, with the loss of 30 jobs from its 160-strong Leicestershire workforce. 15-Jun-2004 Henlys, the school bus manufacturer, is to restructure the business and transfer control to its creditor banks, and the nine staff at its London head office are expected to lose their jobs. 14-Jun-2004 Pennant Clothing is closing its knitwear factory in Belper with the loss of 120 jobs. 11-Jun-2004 Devon County Council is supporting plans from Bristol-based Compact Power to build a £9m waste-to-energy plant at Marsh Barton in Exeter. 10-Jun-2004 Launa Windows of South Devon is creating up to 50 new jobs in its double glazing business, following the launch of a new division in the Southampton and Portsmouth area. 10-Jun-2004 Qinetiq, the defence research group valued at up to £1bn, has appointed Morgan Stanley to prepare plans for a flotation. 10-Jun-2004 Rolls-Royce has submitted plans to invest up to £70m at its Patchway plant in Bristol, in order to increase production of turbine and engine components. 09-Jun-2004 Victrex is considering plans to set up a new speciality plastics plant in China, and plans for a new UK plant would be dropped. 09-Jun-2004 Corus is to sell Tuscaloosa in Alabama, its last remaining US steel mill, to Nucor for £49m. 09-Jun-2004 Applied Optical Technologies, the supplier of anti-counterfeiting products, is to consolidate its Washington offices and up to 125 staff into the larger of its two sites. 07-Jun-2004 Grange Interiors, the kitchen manufacturer, is to open an office in Motherwell, and may also set up a factory in Scotland over the next few years. 07-Jun-2004 Yorkshire Forward is linking up with the Defence Diversification Agency and Amtek in a £2.5m project to use biotechnology developed for the defence industry to clean up brownfield sites. 07-Jun-2004 Smallbone, the kitchen manufacturer, is planning to raise £2.5m in a flotation on Aim. 07-Jun-2004 FKI, the engineering group, is looking to sell four businesses over the next few months in order to reduce debt. 07-Jun-2004 Desmonds is to close its textile warehouse and headquarters at Drumahoe, County Londonderry, with the loss of about 260 jobs. 04-Jun-2004 Brand-Rex is to shed 25 jobs at its cables business in Glenrothes, and a further 25 jobs will be lost at its other sites. 04-Jun-2004 Thames Water is planning to build a £200m desalination plant in Barking by 2007. 01-Jun-2004 Excel Technical Mouldings is to close its plastic mouldings factory in Paignton with the loss of 60 jobs, in order to transfer the work to its site in Smethwick. 01-Jun-2004 The Institute of Mechanical Engineers is expected to close its office in Bury St Edmunds by the end of the year, with the loss of up to 70 jobs, in order to consolidate the work at its London headquarters. 28-May-2004 Invista is to shed 160 of the 500 jobs at its two Lycra plants on Teesside, while 220 jobs will be lost at its plant in Gloucester. 28-May-2004 Courtaulds is to close its textiles factory in Limavady over the next few months, with the loss of 185 jobs. 27-May-2004 Advantage West Midlands is to provide £6m of funding to the Manufacturing Advisory Service, allowing the Wolverhampton-based support and advice organisation to continue for a further three years. 27-May-2004 Wirral Engineering Services has established a new fabrication and welding business at the former Birkenhead site of R McIvor & Sons, and the 12-strong workforce is expected to double over the next year. 27-May-2004 Tate & Lyle is forming a £55m joint venture with DuPont to produce maize-based clothing in the US under the name of Sorona. 27-May-2004 Scott Tod is to raise £2.4m in a share placing to fund the introduction of its own cash delivery system to its network of 411 cash machines. 27-May-2004 Dessian Products is to shed up to 70 of the 160 jobs at its double-glazing business in Belfast. 26-May-2004 LG Electronics is planning to close its microwave ovens factory in Washington, Wearside, in August with the loss of about 170 jobs. 26-May-2004 Kier has won a £12m contract from Shanks Waste Services to build a materials recycling plant at Rainham in Essex. 26-May-2004 Dewhirst is to shed a further 150 jobs at its clothing factory in Hendon, Sunderland. 25-May-2004 Seaward is creating 30 new jobs in County Durham by establishing two new businesses to produce biomedical test equipment and database management programmes. 25-May-2004 Swift Caravans is creating up to 100 new jobs at its caravan factory in Hull, in order to produce a new range of luxury holiday homes. 25-May-2004 Infast is to close its Arnold Wragg fasteners manufacturing subsidiary in Sheffield, with the loss of up to 56 jobs. 24-May-2004 Celvac Environmental Solutions is to increase the workforce at its environmental engineering business in Tenby from 32 to 52 by the end of the year, following a £1.2m expansion programme. 21-May-2004 Sherwood Castings, the Mansfield-based iron foundry, has closed with the loss of 36 jobs. 19-May-2004 Cardiff University has secured £3.2m of funding to set up an Innovative Manufacturing Research Centre. 19-May-2004 GZ Media of the Czech Republic is to build a £1m CD and DVD manufacturing facility at Thomson Litho's site in East Kilbride, with the creation of 25 jobs. 19-May-2004 Smiffy's is planning a £1m extension at its party goods factory in Gainsborough, with the creation of 20 jobs. 19-May-2004 Cookson Fukuda is to close its copper foil factory in Shiremoor, Tyneside, with the loss of 74 jobs. 17-May-2004 Thames Water is to shed up to 28 of the 100 jobs at its Highworth office near Swindon. 17-May-2004 Mid Wales Yarns is to close its textiles factory in Llandrindod Wells, with the loss of 109 jobs. 17-May-2004 Morgan E Rees is to shed 20 jobs at its steel stockholding business in Pontarddulais, unless a buyer can be found for the company. 17-May-2004 Wynnstay Group is to raise £1.5m in a share placing on Aim to fund the expansion of its agricultural supplies business. 17-May-2004 Welsh Development Agency is planning to set up an aerospace industry centre near West Wales Airport, which will involve the creation of up to 1,000 jobs in the design and construction of unmanned aircraft. 17-May-2004 Urenco Power Technologies is to shed about 30 jobs at its factory in Capenhurst, Cheshire, having decided to cease production of its Flywheel energy storage device. 14-May-2004 Brook Crompton is to shed about 200 of the 360 jobs at its electric motors factory in Blackheath, while 45 jobs will be lost at its Huddersfield factory. 14-May-2004 Morgan Advanced Ceramics is to relocate its Rugby-based factory to a new site in Leicester Road in August. 14-May-2004 Carrington Wire is to close its steel wire factory in Warrington, with the loss of 165 jobs. 13-May-2004 Weir is looking to spend up to £300m on the acquisition of a clear liquids pump company, and is also planning to double the size of its Chinese operations over the next two years. 13-May-2004 Sony is to relocate its television set research and development operation and up to 84 jobs from Bridgend to Basingstoke. 12-May-2004 South West Durham Training is to establish a £0.5m centre of excellence for the polymers industry in Newton Aycliffe. 12-May-2004 E Sutton & Son is to shed up to 140 of the 180 jobs at its site in Bacup, Rossendale, in order to transfer shoe production to the Far East. 12-May-2004 Doughty Hanson has appointed JP Morgan to advise on the sale of Dunlop Standard Aerospace, the aircraft components group with 2,750 staff and a valuation of about £1bn. 12-May-2004 Photo-Scan, the supplier of CCTV security systems, has received an unsolicited takeover approach and is now inviting offers from other potential buyers. 11-May-2004 Metallink Fluid Power Systems is to expand its rigid steel tubes factory in the Wear Valley, with the creation of 25 jobs. 11-May-2004 Whipp & Bourne, the switchgear manufacturer, is looking to relocate its 210 staff to a new site, and two locations in Rochdale are being considered. 10-May-2004 Bio-Antigen is in negotiations with HPS of Germany to secure a licence to manufacture the Bio-whirlwind system for destroying all known water-borne diseases, which could lead to hundreds of jobs being created in Wales. 06-May-2004 Worthington Manufacturing is closing its lingerie dyeing facility in Macclesfield, with the loss of 40 jobs. 06-May-2004 Caddick has won a £6.3m contract from Rigid Group of Selby to build a new steel production facility. 06-May-2004 Richards is to create 80 new jobs at its textiles factory in Aberdeen this summer. 05-May-2004 Rentokil Initial Textile Services has closed the Richmond Park Laundry in Rutherglen, with the loss of 68 jobs. 04-May-2004 AEA Technology is to create a further 40 jobs at its Glengarnock technology centre in Ayrshire. 04-May-2004 Raytheon is considering plans to shed up to 99 of the 700 jobs at its weapons manufacturing operation in Harlow, while jobs will also be lost in Glenrothes and Bedford. 04-May-2004 Samuel Eden & Son is to close its socks factory in Sutton-in-Ashfield with the loss of 180 jobs, in order to transfer production overseas. 04-May-2004 Merloni has announced that suppliers to its washing machines factory in North Wales are to create 200 jobs, with Technoplast investing £10m in new production facilities at Kinmel Park and Pasell spending £5m at Sandycroft, Flintshire. 03-May-2004 Rolls-Royce is to invest £100m upgrading four of its aircraft engine factories over the next three years, including sites in Barnoldswick, Derby, Bristol and Nottingham. 03-May-2004 Surface Transforms has raised £2.7m in a share placing to fund the commercial development of carbon ceramic products for the aerospace and automotive markets. 03-May-2004 Umbro, the sports equipment supplier, is planning a flotation in June with a valuation of about £200m. 03-May-2004 Sigma Cryotec is to acquire Universal Vehicle Bodies of Narborough, and the business will be relocated to a larger site with the creation of more than ten jobs. 30-Apr-2004 Merseyside Waste Disposal Authority is said to be considering a site in Gillmoss to build one of Europe's biggest waste incinerators. 29-Apr-2004 Amec has begun to shed almost 500 jobs at its Wallsend offshore engineering yard, which will mainly affect riggers, welders and pipe fitters. 28-Apr-2004 Corus is to invest £32m in new equipment for its steel plant in North Lincolnshire, but 236 jobs will be lost at the site and the heavy section mill will close later this year. 28-Apr-2004 Sunlight Service is to close its laundry in Penrith later this year with the loss of up to 45 jobs, in order to transfer the work to Kendal. 28-Apr-2004 Woodnook Bleaching & Dyeing is to shed up to 50 of the 97 jobs at its textile finishing business in Accrington in July. 27-Apr-2004 Masons has closed its textiles factory in Leek with the loss of 80 jobs. 27-Apr-2004 UK Biometrics is planning to create 50 jobs on Tyneside and 150 nationwide, due to rising demand for its biometric security systems. 27-Apr-2004 Oxford Instruments is to shed 30 jobs at its superconductivity operations in Abingdon, Eynsham and overseas. 27-Apr-2004 Electra Partners Europe is looking to sell Safety-Kleen, the Isleworth-based parts cleaning company, for about £250m. 27-Apr-2004 TEG Environmental is to raise up to £5m on Aim next month, in order to fund the commercial development of large-scale composting plants at sites throughout the country. 27-Apr-2004 The Ministry of Defence is planning to close RAF Sealand in Cheshire and downgrade three other bases at Brize Norton, Boulmer and Neatishead, with the loss of up to 450 civilian jobs. 26-Apr-2004 Hillarys Blinds, the window blinds manufacturer, is expected to be put up for sale by Close Brothers Private Equity with a valuation of £80m. 26-Apr-2004 BAe Systems is considering a number of takeover approaches for its warships and submarines business. 26-Apr-2004 Oxonica, the nanotechnology company, has raised £4m of venture capital to expand its sales and marketing activities. 23-Apr-2004 Security Products is to shed up to 300 of the 900 jobs at its locks factory in Willenhall. 21-Apr-2004 Zyro has awarded a £1.4m contract to Severfield-Reeve Projects to build a 30,000 sq ft warehouse and office site for its cycling equipment business at Thirsk Industrial Park. 20-Apr-2004 Babtie is planning to double the size of its engineering and technical services business over the next five years, and the 3,600-strong workforce could also be doubled. 20-Apr-2004 Rolls-Royce, the aircraft engines manufacturer, is seeking permission to build a £45m factory at its Filton site in Bristol. 15-Apr-2004 Apollo Metals, the aerospace engineering company, is expected to be acquired by Murray Metals Group for undisclosed terms. 14-Apr-2004 ICurie Lab of South Korea is planning to set up a laboratory in the UK to develop a new cooling technology, and has secured a $3m investment from US venture capital firm Hansen Gray. 14-Apr-2004 Unifi Dyed Yarns is to close its textiles factory in Radcliffe in June with the loss of 105 jobs. 14-Apr-2004 BAe Systems is to shed 1,000 jobs at its air systems plants in Warton and Samlesbury in Lancashire over the next two years. 09-Apr-2004 Babcock Defence Services is to shed 60 maintenance jobs at RAF Valley on Anglesey. 08-Apr-2004 Humbrol, the manufacturer of Airfix model kits, is to shed 40 jobs at its warehouse department in Hull. 08-Apr-2004 Bombardier Aerospace is to create 400 jobs at a new £33m aircraft manufacturing plant in Belfast. 08-Apr-2004 Ensinger is planning to expand its plastic components manufacturing facilities in South Wales at a cost of £5.2m, and 48 new jobs will be created. 07-Apr-2004 Houghton has secured a £45m refinancing deal with Royal Bank of Scotland, to fund the continued expansion of its Manchester-based industrial fluids business. 06-Apr-2004 Nanotecture has raised £1.6m to fund the commercial development of its nano-materials technology. 05-Apr-2004 Kidde has raised £4.8m from the sale of its 24% stake in Robbialac, the Portuguese paint company, to European Paints and Dinamia Capital Privado. 05-Apr-2004 Saint Gobain Pipelines is to close its factory in Risca with the loss of 79 jobs, and production of access covers and gratings will be transferred to other sites. 05-Apr-2004 Comeleon is to recruit a further 30 staff at its County Durham-based technology business. 05-Apr-2004 Lowe Alpine is to shed 43 jobs at its Kendal-based sportswear business, in order to transfer some work to Italian parent company Asolo. 05-Apr-2004 Advantica is to shed 80 of the 850 jobs at its energy pipelines business in Loughborough. 05-Apr-2004 LG Philips is to invest £3m in new equipment at its television screen factory in Durham. 02-Apr-2004 Dee Valley Group is to invest £20m in a number of schemes to improve water treatment works in Chester and Wrexham. 01-Apr-2004 English Rose, the Leicester-based knitwear manufacturer, has ceased trading with the loss of 23 jobs. 01-Apr-2004 Amtico, the manufacturer of floor coverings with 800 staff, is planning to raise £20m in a flotation later this year. 31-Mar-2004 PHS is to set up a call centre to sell hand dryers and soap dispensers in Ammanford, with the creation of up to 200 jobs over the next five years. 31-Mar-2004 Sun Coke of the US is considering plans to install a coke facility at the Corus steelworks in Port Talbot, with the creation of up to 140 jobs, but alternative locations are also being considered in France, Germany and Italy. 31-Mar-2004 Dunlop Aerospace Braking Systems is to invest £8m in the expansion of its aerospace components factory in Coventry, with the creation of more than 100 jobs. 30-Mar-2004 MF Sealing Systems is to relocate its pump maintenance business and 20 staff to a new £0.6m factory at Riverside Park estate in Middlesbrough later this year. 29-Mar-2004 Royal Doulton is to close its Nile Street pottery in Stoke-on-Trent by mid-2005 with the loss of 525 jobs, but has also confirmed plans to open a 20,000 sq ft factory and visitor centre at nearby Festival Park. 29-Mar-2004 Oystertec is planning to transfer production of a number of plumbing products from Yorkshire to Poland with the loss of up to 120 jobs. 26-Mar-2004 Rebus Design & Automation is to create 30 jobs in Flintshire, having won a contract to provide a smoke extraction and ventilation system for Arsenal’s new stadium. 26-Mar-2004 MFI is to shed a further 22 jobs at its Hygena kitchens factory at Preston Farm in Stockton. 26-Mar-2004 CRC Glenrothes is to shed about 50 temporary jobs at its television equipment repair business in Fife. 26-Mar-2004 Tubosider is to relocate its corrugated steel products factory from Warrington to St Helens, and its workforce will double to 44. 25-Mar-2004 TWI has confirmed plans to develop a £18m welding technology research centre at the former Waverley opencast colliery site in South Yorkshire, with the creation of 40 jobs. 25-Mar-2004 Mansfield Shoe Co is to relocate its shoe factory and 50 staff to a smaller site in Mansfield over the next few weeks. 25-Mar-2004 Advantage West Midlands is in talks with Encapsulated Waste about plans to build a £5m factory to recycle electronic equipment into place mats, coasters and tiles. 24-Mar-2004 Edgar Allen is planning to relocate its Bathgate foundry to a larger site and increase the workforce from 30 to 150, while its existing site will be transformed into a mix of commercial buildings and housing. 23-Mar-2004 Wales Geoenvironmental Research Park is to become the first tenant of the £8.6m Sustainable Technologies Technium being built at the Baglan Energy Park in Neath Port Talbot, which is due to be completed in April 2005. 23-Mar-2004 BAe Systems and Finmeccanica are to split their defence electronics joint venture into two companies, with BAe taking control of the systems integration business. 23-Mar-2004 Hampson Industries is to raise £14m in a share issue to fund the expansion of its aircraft components manufacturing business. 22-Mar-2004 Cobham is looking to spend £500m on acquisitions to expand its defence and aerospace engineering business over the next three years. 19-Mar-2004 Florida Shoes is to close its shoe factory at Gorleston in Norfolk next month with the loss of the remaining 35 jobs. 17-Mar-2004 Headlam is investing £11m in a new floor coverings distribution centre in Tamworth this year, while its site in Thatcham will be expanded. 17-Mar-2004 Europower Hydraulics is to close its hydraulic hoses factory in Market Weighton with the loss of 190 jobs, in order to transfer the work to Leeds and Poland. 16-Mar-2004 Cookson is looking to sell its precious metals division for up to £100m, in order to focus on electronic systems and ceramics. 15-Mar-2004 Alvis, the manufacturer of military vehicles, has received a £309m takeover bid from General Dynamics of the US. 12-Mar-2004 Polymeric Composites is to relocate to a new £2.1m composite materials factory in Clevedon by the end of the year, and the 21-strong workforce will expand. 12-Mar-2004 Mayborn is relocating its babycare and household products factory to a larger site in Mansfield, and capital expenditure will rise from £1.3m to £3m this year. 11-Mar-2004 Miba Tyzack is planning to relocate its clutch and brake plates factory and 140 staff to a new site in the Sheffield area, having agreed to sell its Green Lane works to "city living" developer Raven Group. 09-Mar-2004 Lister-Petter, the Dursley-based engine factory with 250 staff, is expected to be sold out of administration to an unnamed German company and an East Midlands-based consortium. 09-Mar-2004 Titan Europe, the Kidderminster-based manufacturer of industrial wheels, is planning a £50m flotation on Aim next month and is in discussions with a potential bid target. 09-Mar-2004 Home Service is planning to create about 300 jobs at its domestic assistance call centre in Walsall. 08-Mar-2004 Polaron, the Watford-based manufacturer of scientific instruments, is to raise up to £10m in a flotation on Aim. 08-Mar-2004 Kidde is planning to spend more than £30m on acquisitions to expand its fire safety equipment business this year. 05-Mar-2004 Honeywell is to shed 130 jobs in Redditch later this year, in order to relocate its airframe systems business to its site in Yeovil. 05-Mar-2004 Stora Enso and Associated British Ports are to set up a dedicated import service centre for solid-wood products at the port of Immingham this summer. 05-Mar-2004 CWV Group is to close its home furnishings factory in Hyde with the loss of 140 jobs, in order to transfer the work to its site in Morecambe. 05-Mar-2004 Electrium is to shed up to 170 of the 350 jobs at its electrical products factory in Brownhills. 05-Mar-2004 Silentnight is planning to shed up to 70 of the 620 jobs at its furniture factory in Sunderland. 04-Mar-2004 Deeside Cabinets is planning to close its Norfolk-based furniture factory with the loss of more than 100 jobs. 03-Mar-2004 Omega, the kitchen manufacturer, is planning to raise up to £10m in a share placing on Aim next month. 03-Mar-2004 Meggitt is planning to set up a £7m electronic sensors factory in China next year. 03-Mar-2004 Aggreko has confirmed plans to reorganise its power hire depots in the US and Europe with the loss of 200 jobs, including 43 in the UK. 02-Mar-2004 Cleveland Bridge, the Darlington-based steel engineering group, is to shed up to 240 jobs, including 165 manual jobs at its fabrication yard. 02-Mar-2004 Xiros, the medical device company, is to relocate to a new £3m research and manufacturing facility next to Leeds Bradford International Airport next month. 02-Mar-2004 FKI Transformers is to close its South Wales Transformers plant in Blackwood with the loss of almost 200 jobs, in order to transfer the work to Loughborough. 01-Mar-2004 Mabey & Johnson is to shed 35 jobs at its bridge building plant in Lydney, Gloucestershire. 01-Mar-2004 Hockleys Windows is to relocate its Clacton-based windows business to a new site in Valley Road by April. 01-Mar-2004 Cornwall County Council has announced plans to spend £6m on conservation and clean-up work at 14 mine sites. 27-Feb-2004 NEG Micon Rotors is to expand its wind turbine manufacturing facilities on the Isle of Wight by setting up a new factory in East Cowes, with the creation of up to 120 jobs. 27-Feb-2004 One NorthEast is in discussions with Shipeng Laboratory of China about the possibility of setting up an office and manufacturing site in the north east to produce large X-ray machines. 26-Feb-2004 Oxford Magnet Technology is to shed 80 of the 700 jobs in its MRI scanner manufacturing business in Oxfordshire. 26-Feb-2004 Donisthorpe & Company is to stop producing thread at its Leicester factory with the loss of up to 80 jobs, but 26 staff will remain at a service and distribution centre. 26-Feb-2004 Oceanair Marine, the manufacturer of boat blinds and screens, is planning to relocate its two existing sites and 70 staff to a new £1m headquarters at Selsey Gateway near Chichester. 25-Feb-2004 James Holdsworth, the Colne Valley-based card clothing manufacturer, is planning to relocate its 80 staff to a new site in Marsden. 24-Feb-2004 Perlos is to shed 33 jobs at its tool moulding plant in Houghton-le-Spring, following a fall in demand from the telecoms industry. 24-Feb-2004 Herdmans is to close its spinning mill in Sion Mills, Co Tyrone, with the loss of 270 jobs, in order to transfer linen production to South Africa. 23-Feb-2004 Carclo, the plastics and wiring manufacturer, is to close three UK factories, including sites in Edinburgh and Hatfield, with the loss of 140 jobs. 23-Feb-2004 Heatrae Sadia is investing £5m in automated manufacturing equipment at its water heater factory in Norwich, which will lead to the loss of up to 35 jobs. 23-Feb-2004 SR Gent is to close its clothing factory in Rotherham in April, with the loss of 130 jobs, and a further 35 jobs will go at its Barnsley factory. 23-Feb-2004 PKL Group, the manufacturer of portable kitchens and operating theatres, is planning to raise £3.5m in a flotation on Aim. 23-Feb-2004 Charter is planning to raise £48m in a rights issue to secure the future of its engineering business. 23-Feb-2004 South Staffordshire Group is considering plans to separate its water operations from its growing insurance business. 23-Feb-2004 Morgan Crucible is to raise £54m in a share issue to fund the restructuring of its carbon, ceramic and magnetic engineering operations. 20-Feb-2004 The South West Regional Development Agency is in discussions with BAe Systems about the possibility of using its Plymouth factory as a site for the DTI's Centre of Excellence for Microsystems Manufacturing. 20-Feb-2004 Continental Microwave is to close its microwave products plant in Luton with the loss of 50 jobs, and 40 jobs will be transferred to its site in Chesham. 19-Feb-2004 HM Plant, the machinery importer, is to relocate its headquarters from Somerset to a new £5m site at Hebburn in South Tyneside in the autumn, with the creation of 50 jobs. 19-Feb-2004 Fenner is to raise £4.7m in a share placing to fund the expansion of its conveyor belt products business in China. 18-Feb-2004 Lister Trade Frames is creating 86 new jobs as it moves into a new £2.5m window factory in Stoke-on-Trent over the next few weeks. 17-Feb-2004 Lite-On is to shed 70 of the 133 jobs at its power supply components factory in Ashington, in order to transfer the work to China. 17-Feb-2004 Jacques Vert, the clothing supplier, has raised £3.4m from the sale of Microtherm International, the manufacturer of high-temperature thermal insulation material. 16-Feb-2004 Addis is seeking new premises in Swansea to relocate its houseware products factory, prompting speculation that up to 120 jobs could be lost. 16-Feb-2004 South East England Development Agency is helping SP seek planning permission for a new composites factory in Cowes, which will create 47 jobs. 16-Feb-2004 Falcon Foodservice, the commercial kitchen equipment manufacturer with about 300 staff, is to relocate its factory from Falkirk to Stirling in July. 13-Feb-2004 EnerSys is to shed up to 130 jobs at its factory in Manchester, in order to transfer production of industrial batteries to Mexico and Poland. 12-Feb-2004 Smiles Engineering is to expand its Newcastle-based workforce from seven to 19, having won a contract to supply 70 low-emission diesel engines to bus operator Arriva. 11-Feb-2004 Ingersoll-Rand is to close its Dresser-Rand turbine engineering service centre in Manchester in March, with the loss of 42 jobs. 11-Feb-2004 The Natural Environment Research Council is to set up a £6m environmental science centre at the University of Wales in Bangor, and the existing Centre for Ecology & Hydrology will be demolished. 10-Feb-2004 Swan Plant Services has secured a £3m finance package from NatWest and Aberdeen Murray Johnstone Private Equity to fund the expansion of its Knutsford-based maintenance equipment business. 10-Feb-2004 Metal Casements has closed its steel windows and doors manufacturing business in Walsall with the loss of 50 jobs. 10-Feb-2004 Armitage Shanks is to shed 170 jobs at its bathroom product factories in Stoke-on-Trent and Rugeley, as part of a modernisation programme. 10-Feb-2004 Aggreko, the air conditioning equipment supplier, is to set up a national rental centre in Cannock in April, with the creation of 65 jobs. 09-Feb-2004 Silentnight has confirmed plans to close its Parker Knoll bed factory in Chipping Norton at the end of the year, with the loss of 250 jobs. 09-Feb-2004 Corus is considering plans to sell off its aluminium business, as part of a strategic review. 06-Feb-2004 Invensys has announced a £450m share placing and £2.2bn of new credit to fund the restructuring of its engineering business. 06-Feb-2004 Castle Cement is seeking permission to use discarded tyres to fuel its £56m cement plant in Flintshire. 06-Feb-2004 Hydro Aluminium Extrusion is to close its metal products plant at Sanquhar in the south of Scotland with the loss of 76 jobs. 05-Feb-2004 Spicers is planning to close an office supplies distribution unit in Nottingham next month with the loss of 50 jobs, and the work will transfer to sites in Birmingham and London. 05-Feb-2004 Donald Ward is investing millions of pounds in the expansion of its recycling plant in Ilkeston, and the workforce is expected to rise from 65 to 100 over the next 18 months. 04-Feb-2004 Celsa is said to be considering plans to invest £100m in the development of a new steel plant at its Tremorfa site in Cardiff. 03-Feb-2004 Brook Crompton is to close its electric motors factory near Leeds with the loss of 225 jobs, and further job losses are expected at sites in Huddersfield and Blackheath. 03-Feb-2004 Wolverhampton Council is planning to expand its recyclable waste collection service over the next 18 months, with the creation of more than 50 jobs. 03-Feb-2004 Castleblair is planning to close its clothing factories in Glenrothes and Dunfermline with the loss of 480 jobs, in order to transfer production to Turkey. 02-Feb-2004 Frazer & Haughton is to close its textiles factory at Cullybackey in County Antrim in April, with the loss of 30 jobs. 02-Feb-2004 School Trends, the Sheffield-based school wear supplier, is to create up to 100 jobs over the next five years, and will relocate to a new £2.5m headquarters near Mosborough in February. 02-Feb-2004 Kingfisher is to reorganise its Screwfix Direct tools business, including the development of a new head office in Yeovil, the opening of a new distribution depot in Stoke-on-Trent and the closure of a depot in Leicester. 02-Feb-2004 OC Textiles, the Newark-based clothing manufacturer, has gone into liquidation with the loss of 30 jobs. 30-Jan-2004 Morinoak International, the Yarmouth-based offshore engineering company, is to be closed down by US parent Varco with the loss of 175 jobs. 30-Jan-2004 Alvis Vickers is to shed 190 of the 357 jobs at its military vehicles plant in Telford. 30-Jan-2004 Cooper Cameron, the manufacturer of oil exploration equipment, is to shed about 100 of the 650 jobs at its factory in Leeds. 30-Jan-2004 Tyco Electronics is creating 80 jobs at its Crompton Industrial Instruments plant in Witham, Essex, and £1m will be invested in a new laboratory. 30-Jan-2004 Corus is to invest £1.2m in the expansion of the Shotton Steelworks on Deeside, which will involve the installation of new equipment this summer. 29-Jan-2004 Caledonian Cartridge Company has won permission to set up a two-storey explosives factory in Banchory. 29-Jan-2004 FKI has announced a strategic review that will lead to the closure of eight businesses and the sale of four others, with the loss of 700 jobs, in order to focus on five core and three emerging operations. 28-Jan-2004 JCB has acquired a 12-acre site at Church Broughton, Derbyshire, to manufacture diesel engines, and 100 jobs will be created at the newly-formed JCB Power Systems division. 27-Jan-2004 Diamond H Controls is to transfer thermostat production from Norwich to China with the loss of 140 jobs, and may seek a smaller site in Norwich for the 60 staff being retained in research, sales and marketing. 27-Jan-2004 Kail & Co is to relocate its precision engineering business, which has 30 staff, to a larger site in Sunderland in April, and expects to create ten new jobs this year. 26-Jan-2004 Morelec, the Devizes-based manufacturer of industrial and agricultural control systems, has gone into liquidation with the loss of 25 jobs. 26-Jan-2004 Kestrel 3D, the developer of laser scanning technology, is seeking a suitable site for a new headquarters in the East Midlands, which would create about 45 jobs. 26-Jan-2004 Crittall Windows is planning to shed up to 70 jobs in Braintree, following the loss of a contract to supply metal windows to the US. 26-Jan-2004 Matsushita Electric is considering plans to transfer Panasonic television production from Cardiff to the Czech Republic later this year, with the loss of 600 jobs. 26-Jan-2004 Rentokil Initial is to shed an unspecified number of the 110 jobs at its Kirkby factory, having lost a contract to supply flints and lighter fuel to Swedish Match. 23-Jan-2004 Gilwood Engineering, the Tyneside-based mechanical and electrical contractor, is looking to double its 30-strong workforce following a rise in demand for its services. 23-Jan-2004 FKI has confirmed plans to close its Laurence Scott & Electromotors factory in Norwich with the loss of up to 250 jobs, and most of the work will be transferred to other sites. 23-Jan-2004 Sunlight Service is to close a laundry in Southend with the loss of at least 50 jobs, in order to transfer the work to sites in Basildon and London. 23-Jan-2004 Invertek Drives is relocating its electronic variable speed drives business from Llanymynech to the Offa's Dyke Business Park at Welshpool, which will lead to the creation of up to 25 jobs over the next few years. 22-Jan-2004 South West Durham Training is to build a £0.8m Centre of Vocational Excellence for advanced engineering in Newton Aycliffe. 22-Jan-2004 David Brown Textron is to shed 95 of the 690 jobs at its pumps and gears manufacturing operation in Huddersfield. 21-Jan-2004 VMS, the supplier of digital road and rail signs, is relocating its 53 Tyneside-based staff to the Monkton Business Park this month, and 17 new jobs will be created. 21-Jan-2004 George Fischer is to sell its Lincoln foundry to Meade Corporation for undisclosed terms, saving 200 of the 400 jobs. 21-Jan-2004 Samuel Eden & Son, the sock manufacturer, is planning to shed 90 jobs at its factory in Sutton-in-Ashfield. 20-Jan-2004 Moog Controls is to shed 45 jobs at its aerospace control systems factory in Tewkesbury. 20-Jan-2004 Amdea, the association of domestic appliance manufacturers, has announced that 13 companies have set up a joint venture company to recycle materials from electrical products, under the name of the Recycling Electrical Producers' Industry Consortium. 20-Jan-2004 Cityfax is to close its tie factory at Newtown in mid Wales in March, with the loss of 44 jobs. 19-Jan-2004 Temple Knight, the photocopier repair company, is to relocate its head office to Edenbridge in Kent over the next few months, with the creation of up to 10 new jobs. 19-Jan-2004 Supercart is planning to raise £4.5m in a flotation on Aim to fund the commercial development of its plastic shopping trolleys. 19-Jan-2004 Airsprung Furniture is to close its Bymacks upholstery factory in Brimscombe, Gloucestershire, with the loss of most of the 60 jobs. 19-Jan-2004 Delta Babygro, the baby clothes supplier, is to close its premises in Kirkcaldy in June, with the loss of the remaining 31 sales and design jobs. 16-Jan-2004 TWI, the welding research organisation, has secured £2.7m in Objective One funding to establish a facility in Port Talbot, where it will employ 14 staff. 15-Jan-2004 Corus is to recruit 85 new staff at its Corus Tubes site in Hartlepool, having won a contract to supply a gas pipeline. 15-Jan-2004 Lentern Aircraft is to shed a number of jobs at its aerospace fasteners factory in Southend in April, following its acquisition by Satair Hardware, but has denied suggestions that the figure will be as high as 200. 15-Jan-2004 Clarks is to close its shoe factory in Barnstaple by April, with the loss of 107 jobs, and a further 13 jobs will go at its Somerset headquarters. 14-Jan-2004 NCR Financial Solutions is to shed a further 30 of the 1,500 jobs at its cash machines factory in Dundee. 14-Jan-2004 Brita of Germany is to set up a £10m water filter factory in Bicester with the creation of 130 jobs, and production will relocate from Sunbury-on-Thames later this year. 14-Jan-2004 APL Technologies has secured more than £3m from Bank of Scotland Corporate Funding to commission new robotic production lines at its plastic painting plant in Middlesbrough. 13-Jan-2004 Diamond Chain Company is looking to set up a factory to manufacture industrial roller chains near its existing distribution site in Blaydon, with the creation of up to 300 jobs. 12-Jan-2004 Corus is to invest £12m in the installation of an additional ladle furnace at its steel manufacturing plant in North Lincolnshire. 12-Jan-2004 Flakt Woods is to relocate its industrial fan factory and about 500 staff to a new site at Cuckoo Farm in Colchester, having won planning permission to use its existing site for housing. 12-Jan-2004 Satin Profiles, the Bootle-based double glazing manufacturer, has ceased trading with the loss of almost 40 jobs. 09-Jan-2004 CBL Contractors of Hartlepool is to create up to 200 new jobs, having won a £10m contract to fit the cabling and electrical installations in the new Wembley stadium. 09-Jan-2004 Carlisle Brass is setting up a new £4m window and door fittings factory in Carlisle, with the creation of about 40 jobs. 09-Jan-2004 Sealine is to create up to 35 new jobs at its luxury boat factory in Kidderminster to work on the production of a new yacht. 09-Jan-2004 WR Metalform, the Plymouth-based sheet metal company, has ceased trading with the loss of about 20 jobs. 09-Jan-2004 Specialized Fabrications is to relocate its metal fabricating business from Fareham to a new £1.7m factory in Gosport. 08-Jan-2004 Porcelanosa, the Spanish bathroom furniture and tile manufacturer, is to set up a £3.3m UK headquarters near Wandsworth Bridge in London, and Cirus will complete construction by June. 08-Jan-2004 Corus is in talks with a number of potential joint venture partners for its Teesside Cast Products steelmaking business, and TCP is looking into the possibility of increasing exports by investing £16m in new port facilities. 08-Jan-2004 Huntingdonshire District Council is considering plans from Turbine Motor Works to set up a jet engine refurbishment operation at RAF Upwood, which would create up to 200 jobs over the next three years. 07-Jan-2004 Centrax is to create 40 new part-time jobs at its aerospace turbines factory in Newton Abbot. 06-Jan-2004 TBF Thompson Engineering is to close its trailer manufacturing operation in Northern Ireland with the loss of 36 jobs. 06-Jan-2004 WD Close is to relocate its steel fabrication business and 87 staff from Gateshead to a larger 100,000 sq ft factory in Walker this month, and 30 new jobs will be created. 06-Jan-2004 Home Service, the provider of domestic assistance and warranties, is to create 80 new jobs at its call centre in Walsall. 02-Jan-2004
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