Business in East Anglia

Firms speed up recruitment as outlook for 2020 brightens

Business sentiment jumped to its highest level in 20 months in the region in December as the outlook for activity in the year ahead improved and the rate of new job creation quickened , according to a key survey of purchasing managers.

The East of England PMI showed business expectations strengthening to the joint-highest since April 2018 and workforce numbers continuing to rise. Firms linked their optimism to reduced uncertainty and hopes of improved demand and higher sales. The NatWest future business activity index rose from 59.3 in November to 66.7 in December. However the survey sho...

Food & drink producers 'forge ahead' helped by export growth

The food and drink sector - the biggest industry in the East of England, accounting for around a sixth of the local economy - has emerged as a key growth driver in the region helped by a dramatic growth in overseas sales, particularly to the US and Asia. According to a new report from Make UK and Santander, Britain’s food and drink sector continues to ignore the uncertain political and economic climate and is ‘forging ahead at home and abroad’. Overseas food & drink sales from the UK have risen by just under a quarter in the last two years. Although the EU still accounts for just ...

Number of Cambs companies passes milestone

The number of companies located in Cambridgeshire has passed more than 50,000 for the first time.

At the end of November, 50,066 businesses were registered according to company secretarial software specialist Inform Direct, based on Companies House and ONS figures.

The figures showed that South Cambs had 11,844; Peterborough, 10,665 and Huntingdonshire, 10,091. The city of Cambridge has 8,874 registered businesses. Cambridgeshire had a record year during 2018 when the number of new companies grew by 6.3% to 48,390.

John Korchak (right), director of operations at Inform Direct said: “This is a s...

Huntingdon Southern Bypass opens ahead of schedule

Highways England has opened the Huntingdon Southern Bypass one year ahead of schedule, as part of the £1.5 billion upgrade of 21 miles of the A14 between Cambridge and Huntingdon. The new bypass runs between Ellington and Swavesey and work on the rest of the project, between Swavesey and Milton, is on schedule for completion by December 2020.

Natalie Chapman of the Freight Transport Association said: “Speaking on behalf of the UK logistics industry, FTA is thrilled Highways England has opened the Huntingdon Southern Bypass a year ahead of schedule...Our members rely on effective and e...

Strong service sector helps keep business buoyant in Essex

Turnover and profits at the top 100 privately-owned companies in Essex have continued to grow at a healthy rate helped by a strong service sector but the county’s property businesses have faced a tougher year and firms are borrowing more, according to the 2019 Essex Limited report from Grant Thornton and Birketts.

Based on an analysis of firms’ latest annual reports, it shows turnover at the top 100 has risen by 15 per cent to £10.5bn and profits by 12 per cent. The service sector in Essex saw the largest growth in turnover and operating profit and the automotive sector also stood out...