Scottish business wire: M&S | PMI | Dundee port
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An unofficial list of Marks & Spencer stores at risk of closure includes three branches north of the Border. The Local Data Company (LDC) has published a list of stores that it believes could be under threat – including in Aberdeen, Ayr and Dundee – after M&S said last week that it would be axeing 30 clothing and homewares branches as part of a renewed focus on food. M&S said: “We are very disappointed that anyone would choose to speculate in this way.”
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Hide AdScotland’s private sector barely edged into growth last month as it faced the headwinds of continuing higher input prices amid the fall in the value of sterling and flat new business activity, a new report out today shows. Output growth slackened and the volume of incomplete work rose in October, says the latest Bank of Scotland purchasing managers’ index (PMI), while stagnation in new order intakes followed a marginal expansion in September.
Forth Ports and Augean North Sea Services (ANSS) have unveiled a project to open a “state of the art” decommissioning waste management hub at the port of Dundee early next year. The new 25,000 sq ft material transfer facility is aimed at enabling the port to offer an integrated service to the emerging North Sea decommissioning market.
“Donald Trump as President? Sell everything and head for the hills!” writes Bill Jamieson. “That was the initial reaction in markets as the US election results leaned towards a victory for the champion of the Deplorables. But that conventional wisdom barely lasted two hours as an emollient victory speech saw stock markets round the world somersault. The high-spending, tax-slashing Trump would be great for shares!”
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Industry: Attack alarms
Amount of investment: £744,000
Investors: Equity Gap, University of Strathclyde, Gabriel Investment Syndicate, Scottish Investment Bank and Unipart
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Industry: Travel software
Amount of investment: £5,300,000
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Company: snap40, Edinburgh
Industry: Healthcare technology
Amount of investment: £2,000,000
Investors: Par Equity and private investors
Company: Swipii, Glasgow
Industry: Customer loyalty
Amount of investment: £2,000,000
Investors: Undisclosed
RECENT GRANTS
Company: Collagen Solutions, Glasgow
Industry: Life sciences
Grant awarded: €500,000 (£450,000)
Type of grant: EU Horizon 2020
Company: Omega Diagnostics, Alva
Industry: Life sciences
Grant awarded: £1,800,000
Type of grant: Scottish Enterprise R&D