A contract worth nearly £400,000 to provide electricity, gas and water infrastructure in Hattersley has been awarded to Energetics Networked Energy, which is based in offices in Warrington and Glasgow.
Energetics will install services in 173 homes being built as part of a joint venture between Barratt and Artisan Property Group.
Ian Storey, the former financial controller of Manchester-based healthcare software business iSoft, plans to appeal against a ban on holding top accounting jobs for eight years.
The punishment was imposed by a tribunal brought by the Accountancy and Actuarial Disciplinary Board after Mr Storey admitted to “providing false and misleading information” to iSoft’s former auditors between 2003 and 2005.
He is currently financial controller at Oldham-based consumer goods supplier Ultimate Products, but has now stood down from its board.
A company spokesman said: “Ian Storey intends to appeal against the decision of the tribunal. He retains the trust and confidence of the directors of Ultimate Products, but has decided in the best interests of the company to step down from the board with immediate effect.
“Ian will continue to be employed in the financial controller role.”
Astra Zeneca chief executive David Brennan has pocketed a cash bonus of £1.2m.
Thousands of jobs have been axed at the drugs giant as part of a huge reorganisation programme which began in 2007, including 1,000 across Cheshire. Last month it announced 8,000 redundancies worldwide, although its Macclesfield and Alderley Park sites, which employ 7,500, have avoided the latest cull.
The company’s annual report shows that Mr Brennan received a bonus of £1.2m for last year. His total package was £3.2m.
A spokeswoman for the firm said: “David Brennan has received no pay rise for the past two years, and will take no rise in 2010 as the company continues to take into account the wider business environment and employment conditions across the group.
“He has received an increase in bonus this year (for 2009) versus the prior year (2008) based on the achievement of performance criteria, and the bonus reflects delivery on those criteria.”
AZ posted a 24 per cent increase in pre-tax profits to £6.7bn for 2009 and sales were up seven per cent at £20.2bn.
Manchester-based insurance broker CBG Group is well-placed to resume its acquisition programme after calling a halt during 2009, says boss Mike Askew.
The group saw adjusted pre-tax profits for 2009 slump from £2.24m to £1.02m and, after adjustments, to just £80,000 from £1.09m.
Revenues fell from £11.15m to £8.96m. CBG will pay a dividend of 0.7p, up from 0.66p.
Mr Askew said the group had taken action to cut its cost base to mitigate falling revenues, including a redundancy programme which saw its workforce cut from 180 to 135 during the year.
It reduced its borrowings by outsourcing operations, and has sold a non-core part of its business to Swinton.
CBG has also consolidated
operations at its new head office in Wythenshawe, with plans to move further parts of the group there from Oldham and Macclesfield. The m
Defence engineering firm WFEL today announced a £1m contract with the Ministry of Defence which will see the Stockport-based firm repair one of its portable bridges damaged during the war in Afghanistan.
WFEL, which is based at Heaton Chapel, counts the MoD as one of its major customers, with others including the US Department of Defense.
WFEL designs, manufactures and refurbishes bridges used by soldiers to cross rivers and ravines, and to carry out rescue operations in areas struck by natural disasters.
Shares in Salford-based manpower firm Morson Group leapt despite a fall in adjusted annual pre-tax profits, as bosses highlighted the company’s resilience and outlined new areas for investment during 2010.
The group, which provides 9,000 white collar staff each year to companies in sectors such as rail, power, aerospace, defence and nuclear, said it would also focus on niche new areas for growth in the UK and overseas, including telecoms, scientific, IT and oil and gas.
The policy is already paying off, with contracts in regions such as South America and Africa, said chief executive Ged Mason. However, more than 90 per cent of income is still generated in the UK. Mr Mason said: “We must now position the group for the future where there is real opportunity.
“We believe that 2010 will see a continuation of some of the difficult economic trading conditions affecting our customers. Our f
