company in bid for oil exploration jobs
By Tom Bodden Welsh Affairs Correspondent
MORE than 5,000 workers have swamped Hamilton Oil company with applications for jobs on the gas and oil project off the North Wales coast.
The company said it was inundated with bids for 700 construction and 130 longer-term drilling jobs.
Flint-based construction company David McLean received 400 telephone calls in the first days after winning the main sub-contract to build the on-shore terminal at Point of Ayr.
Spokeswoman Jane McLean said yesterday: ' After that we stopped recording the calls and passed them on to the JobCentre at Holywell, which is handling the recruitment. '
Hamilton Oil revealed yesterday that it had handled almost 5,000 applications already, many arriving before the announcement of the go-ahead for the massive project.
' They have been forwarded to the main contractors for analysis, ' a spokesman said.
The Aberdeen Oil Company, which was awarded the main 60m terminal contract, and McLean, are committed to taking on as many local workers as possible for the 600C700 construction vacancies.
Building work is due to start in September, if planning approvals are granted.
Gas from the fields in Liverpool Bay will be piped ashore to the Point of Ayr terminal, then overland to the proposed PowerGen gas-fired power station at Connah's Quay.
The entire scheme is worth 1.3bn.
But there was a green backlash yesterday at the prospect of a further big expansion of oil and gas exploration off the Welsh coast.
Friends of the Earth Cymru warned new Welsh Secretary John Redwood of the potential environmental threats posed by oil and gas drilling.
The Department of Trade and Industry is expected to announce soon the awarding of new licences in the 14th round of exploration off the west Wales coast.
Friends of the Earth is warning Mr Redwood to beware of talk of a jobs bonanza.
Co-ordinator Margaret Minhinnick said: ' It is vital John Redwood understands that oil and gas exploration is no answer to unemployment in Wales.
' As yet, there is no proof that more than a few score permanent jobs will be created by the industry, ' she said.
In Clwyd, the terminal at Point of Ayr promised at most 132 jobs for the duration of the drilling process, she said.
Co-operative Retail Services surprised shareholders with a little-changed profit at 31.1m.
5,000 in chase for 830 oil jobs
By Tom Bodden Welsh Affairs Correspondent
MORE than 5,000 workers have swamped the Hamilton Oil company with applications for jobs on the gas and oil project off the North Wales coast.
The company said it was inundated with bids for the 700 construction and 130 longer-term drilling jobs on offer.
Flint-based construction company David McL5ean received 400 telephone calls in the first days after winning the main sub-contract to build the onshore terminal at Point of Ayr.
Spokeswoman Jane McLean said yesterday: ' After that we stopped recording the calls and passed them on to the JobCentre at Holywell which is handling the recruitment. '
Hamilton Oil revealed yesterday that it had handled almost 5,000 applications already, many arriving before the announcement of the go-ahead for the massive project.
' They have been forwarded to the main contractors for analysis, ' a spokesman said.
' It has been a phenomenal response and shows that there are people in need of these jobs. '
The Aberdeen Oil Company, which was awarded the main 60m terminal contract, and McLean, is committed to taking on as many local workers as possible for the construction work.
Building work is due to start in September, if planning approvals are granted.
Gas from the fields in Liverpool Bay will be piped ashore to the Point of Ayr terminal, then overland to the proposed PowerGen gas fired power station at Connah's Quay.
The entire scheme is worth 1.3bn.
But there was a green backlash yesterday at the prospect of a further big expansion of oil and gas exploration off the Welsh coast.
Friends of the Earth Cymru warned new Welsh Secretary, John Redwood, of the potential environmental threats posed by oil and gas drilling.
The Department of Trade and Industry is expected to announce soon the award of new licences in the latest round of exploration off the west Wales coast.
FoE co-ordinator Margaret Minhinnick said: ' It is vital that John Redwood understands that oil and gas exploration is no answer to unemployment in Wales.
' As yet, there is no proof that more than a few score permanent jobs will be created by the industry.
Indeed, drilling could actually damage employment by discouraging tourism, ' she said.
THE ten best-selling cars in May were: 1.
Vauxhall Cavalier; 2.
Vauxhall Astra; 3.
Ford Fiesta; 4.
Ford Escort; 5.
Ford Mondeo; 6.
Rover 200; 7.
Peugeot 405; 8.
Rover Metro; 9.
Vauxhall Corsa; 10.
Rover 400.
Divided loyalty
JOHN EDMONDS, general secretary of the giant GMB union, has created a division on the political Left by criticising the Labour Party leadership.
The advisability of starting that particular debate, when Labour is far ahead of the Conservatives in the polls, was highly questionable.
Meanwhile, at the GMB conference yesterday, Mr Edmonds made a rousing speech in favour of unity between his union and the Transport and General Workers'.
There is every possibility that he has mixed up his candidates for unity and division.
He sees the union merger, combining massive resources, as a way of attracting more members.
There is no guarantee of that and every possibility that it will be read by both employers and workers as fresh evidence that trade unionism is on the retreat.
Indeed, successful labour organisation could have been more firmly based on unions which each combined many skills within a single industry, rather than of related functions in a wide range of businesses.
The single-industry system was devised by the late Lord Feather when, as a young union official, he was sent to help West Germany reorganisation after World War II.
It became a crucial component of the renowned ' economic miracle. '
With the trickling away of trade union support in this country, it might be too late for such a dramatic change of direction.
But it is worth at least as much consideration as the merger plan.
The limit SHOULD political loyalty have any limitations?
John Major must have pondered that question several times in past months as various Cabinet ministers depended on his support after making curious decisions on public or private issues.
No doubt he will be giving the point more thought after being assailed in the Commons yesterday over the behaviour of his Northern Ireland minister, Michael Mates.
Mr Major said that Mr Mates's decision to give fugitive millionaire Asil Nadir a watch inscribed, ' Don't let the buggers get you down, ' was' not a hanging offence. '
David Mellor and Norman Lamont, to whom Mr Major owed greater loyalty, lost his support in the end.
Mr Mates was the efficient stage manager of Michael Heseltine's almost successful bid for the premiership.
Whether he will hang remains to be seen.
Magic million for Vodafone MOBILE phones group Vodafone expects to ring up its one millionth subscriber by the end of March 1994 after spectacular growth.
It added 125,000 subscribers in the current year to March 31 following the introduction of its Low Call service, aimed at domestic customers, which helped boost pre-tax profits to 322.5m from 271.76m.
Brazil deal: Banknote printer De La Rue, which has reported record profits, sold its Brazilian subsidiary for 30m to US Bank Note Corporation.
Double top: Unigate, known for its St Ivel brand, reported pre-tax profits up more than 50%, from 101.4m from 65.7m.
Rate riddle: Chancellor Kenneth Clarke is unlikely to cut interest rates in the short term, according to securities firm Lehman Brothers.
Good brew: Demand for Marstons Pedigree and Low C Beers has grown pre-tax profits are 20.07m against 15.05m last time.
Fears grow for ferries
FEARS that the Mersey Ferries are heading for closure led to a demand for an inquiry today...
The call came from trade union leaders representing the ferries' 103-strong workforce and follows a 6m investment by Merseytravel to revamp the ferries in 1990.
Page 4 Super union
Two of Britain's biggest unions the GMB and TGWU are to open merger talks for a two-million strong super union.
Fund theft
Sausage skins set to enter market
THE strangest newcomer to the stock market this year will surely be Devro, the Scottish based maker of sausage skins.
The British love affair with bangers means that the sausage market in the UK is worth nearly 600m a year but as much as one-fifth of the cost of a sausage can be in the skins.
Devro's success in providing these skins has made the company worth 200m.
But the story of how it got started is an odd one.
It began in the early fifties when American health products company Johnson &amp; Johnson, best known for its baby powder, wanted to develop a new type of surgical suture based on collagen the same sort of stuff that ageing film stars injected to prevent wrinkles.
Ideal
One of its scientists working on the suture project discovered a special type of collagen which made an ideal sausage casing.
Johnson &amp; Johnson chief executive Frank De Angeli did a management buy-out and set up Devro in Scotland, where it quickly become a major exporter world wide.
And Devro's collagen-based sausage skins have proved tops, particularly for frozen sausages, and the company produces 150 different types of sausage skins.
The world's biggest consumers of sausages are the Chinese, so the mind boggles at the potential.
The full prospectus for the share sale will be out next Thursday.
First class bargains around
THERE was a time when it was easier to get a stockbroker to buy you lunch than to get him to give a sell recommendation for a share.
It was always, buy, buy, buy.
But the best time to sell a share of course is when everyone else says' buy. '
Likewise the best time to buy a share is when it is in the doghouse with everyone saying ' sell, sell sell. '
By then of course it is usually too late to sell.
A good example of this is glass giants Pilkington Bros.
Due to the housing and building recession everyone in the stock market knew it would be reporting dreadful figures this week.
But this is a fine company, and with the shares already down by half from their peak last year is this really the time to sell?
It amazes me how ready small investors are to buy rubbishy ' penny shares' when it is so easy to spot first class quality companies with shares at a bargain basement levels.
One excellent company where the shares are going cheap at 115p to yield 7pc is BET.
It provides services to industry from the Mrs Mop level up to hiring out telescopic lifting gear to TV companies.
Down
BET was hard hit by the recession, with profits down last year from 217m to only 18m.
The stock market is still nervous of them because of fears that the cost of restructuring will slow down recovery.
But BET has the in-depth strength to come out of this recession as a business toughened by adversity.
The same applies to construction group Taylor Woodrow.
Its latest figures show that on 1.2bn of business it only made 18m profit.
But it was hit by 33m of provision against three jobs the Channel Tunnel, Euro-Disney and the Storebaelt Bridge in Denmark.
These were all superb feats of engineering.
But the bottom line is all that the stock market cares about, and the dividend is only a token penny a share.
Yet longer term the shares at 110p are surely worth backing.
None of these three shares is a rubbishy penny share stock, where the price is buoyed up by investors who dream of making a fortune.
These are all fine companies with solid businesses battling through hard times but with real prospects of recovery unlike most of the penny stocks.
Hurry and register for BT3
DO hurry up and register for the BT3 share sale.
Ring if for some reason you do not wish to register with the 150 different organisations banks, building societies, stockbrokers and others acting as share shops.
I expect next week to be your last chance to register before the shut-off date.
After that you will still be able to apply for the shares likely final date for sending in your cheques July 12.
But by failing to register in time you will have lost the chance of being given preference in allocation.
Am I going to recommend that you buy the BT shares?
Too early to say until the incentives are known.
But I was impressed by BT's decision to put 2.8bn into taking a 20 per cent stake in MTI, the second largest long-distance telephone group on the USA.
This shows BT is determined to be a world class company not a Little England business.
What I can say at this stage is that the Government is very keen to use BT3 as a chance to extend wider share ownership.
So the incentives will be good.
But they will be designed to encourage you to be a long-term holder rather than to enable you to take a quick profit.
RUTHIN Farmers Auction report entries of 1,899 lambs, hoggets and ewes with a steady trade in all sections.
Light lambs from 107.9 to 124.7 (117.9), standard lambs from 113.6 to 131 (120.8), medium lambs from 115 to 124.4 (121.9), heavy lambs 106.7 to 113 (107.8), overweights average 100.4, overall average of 120.1.
Hoggets: medium hoggets from 66.6 to 81.6 (77.4), medium hoggets 78.2 to 80 (78.5), heavy hoggets 53.8 to 75.1 (67.8), overall average 71.2, reject hoggets from 18 up to 28.50.
Ewes: Welsh ewes from 3 to 24.50, crossbred ewes from 24 to 39.50.
Rams to 39.50, overall of 23,1.0.
BRYNCIR.
Bob Parry report entries of 1,176 sheep at their opening sale of prime lambs.
Numerous new buyers in attendance resulting in a sharp demand for spring lambs.
Prize winner single prime lamb 122.2p shown by D Hughes, Bryn Pentreuchaf, best house pen of four or more prime lambs 124.5p shown by R W Owen Rhwngddwyryd highest prices pens of ten or more prime lambs 125.2p shown J E Edwards, Ty Mawr Treflyf.
Vendors selling the most number of prime lambs T J Jones Wern.
Vendor selling the most number of cull ewes O G Hughes Bron Eifion,
Market prices Ewes and lamb couples 136 forward; Welsh single couples 32 up to 51.
Welsh double couples 40 up to 56.
Cross bred single couples 51 up to 57.
Yearling couples 74 up to 86 cull ewes 152 forward Welsh ewes 9 up to 29.
Cross bred ewes 25 up to 36; rams from 23 up to 38; prime stock 888 forward; light lambs up to 116.2p av 114p, standard lambs up to 123.9p av 118.4p; medium lambs up to 124.6p, av 120.4p; light hoggets up to 103.3p, av 91p.
GAERWEN.
Messrs Morgan Evans and Co Ltd report an entry of 80 prime cattle, 4,278 lambs and ewes.
Cattle in great demand selling to 165.5.
Heavy lambs in demand.
Ewes sharper trade.
Highest price heifer per kilo 165.5, H. P. Raynor, Hafod.
Highest price steer per kilo 148.5, R. Jones, Cae Isaf.
Highest price pen of lambs 143.7, G. H. Roberts, Brynrefoil, Isaf.
Medium steers to 148.5 (144.6), heavy steers (139.5).
Light heifers to 149.5 (148), medium heifers to 159 (146.8), heavy heifers to 165.5 (146.8), heifers overall average 146.88.
Light lambs to 133.3 (116.31), standard lambs to 137.1 (124.3), medium lambs to 143.7 (127.88), heavy lambs to 125 (117.7).
Light hoggets average 101.6.
Ewes to 48 (26.88).
DOLGELLAU.
Marts report an entry of 76 calved heifers and breeding cows with an overall sale average of 1,030 also 1,387 store sheep and sheep couples, 20 cast cows and 48 store cattle with an excellent trade throughout.
Highest priced heifer and calf shown by J. Evans, Terfynan, Garn.
Highest priced cow and twin calves shown by J. T. Jones, Llwynowern, Llanuwchllyn.
Welsh Black heifers with Charolais calves at heel 1,520.
Welsh Black heifers with Limousine calves at heel 1,500.
Welsh Black cows with twin Charolais calves at heel 1,100.
Welsh Black cows with Charolais calves at heel 1,000.
Hereford crossbred cows with Charolais calves at heel 1,000.
Welsh Black cows with Simmental calves at heel 1,060.
Hereford crossbred heifers with calf at heel 1,400.
Limousin heifers with calf at heel 1,240.
Welsh Black in-calf heifers to 980.
Charolais bulls to 1,600 guineas.
Welsh Black cast cows to 840.
Welsh Black heifers to 572.
Charolais heifers to 524.
Charolais crossbred steers to 566.
Welsh cast ewes to 30.80.
Crossbred cast ewes to 45.
YRL crossbred ewes to 55.
YRL crossbred double couples to 116.
YRL crossbred single couples to 98.
Welsh ewes with single crossbred lambs to 49.
Welsh ewes with double crossbred lambs to 61.
Welsh couples to 50.
It's often best to cut your losses early on
THERE is a spiteful tendency among some commentators to compare the fuss recently made about the losses suffered by MPs, judges and others rich enough to have become ' Names' at Lloyd's of London, with the problems suffered by those who are unemployed.
' How did they get the 250,000 spare wealth needed to qualify in the first place ', is one theme I hear from these envy-driven commentators.
With some, like Tony Jacklin or Susan Hampshire, it is perfectly obvious they got it through hard work in their particular calling.
And as a result they have the self-confidence which comes from knowing that if you have made it once, you can make it again.
In that respect they are better off than those who simply inherited the wealth, and now have no real idea how to set about replacing what they have lost.
But the connection between Lloyd's and the unemployed is much closer than most realise.
All business activities are inherently risky.
Insurance helps to reduce the risk.
So facilitating an increased volume of business insurance cover, such as that provided by Lloyd's to industry, also increases employment in some cases dramatically.
So the losses suffered by Lloyd's members indirectly affect us all.
The losses suffered by the ' Names' at Lloyd's of London made headline news because some of them are MPs or judges and others are celebrities.
But their losses are in total less than those suffered by the major insurance companies in recent years.
Of course the insurance companies are a good deal less' photogenic ' and much less of a source of scandal for the gossip columnists.
Another difference is that the companies tend to be faster on their feet.
Once they realised how risk had suddenly escalated they took steps to cut down their ' book '.
But the individual members of Lloyd 's, mostly people who were dabbling way over their head in a subject about which they knew little, were often persuaded to hang on for things to improve.
That is nearly always a mistake.
As the old Stock Exchange saying goes: ' Your first loss is your best loss. '
Meaning if you hang on hoping for something to turn up, you invariably lose much more.
Usually the wisest thing to do is to cut your losses early on.
The moral to be drawn from this sad episode is: ' Don't put your money into any business you can not understand, and where you are at the mercy of the advice given by others, however trustworthy. '
Now that the worst seems to be over, the insurance companies have been recapitalising themselves.
Royal Insurance has put out a hefty cash call, asking shareholders to stump up 404m by subscribing for one new share for every three held at 255p.
This has brought the share price back to 290p and they are good value at that level.
although it will be a couple of years yet before the pre-loss level of dividend can be resumed.
Tony Jacklin
Susan Hampshire
AMONG companies reporting today are: Finals: Cape, Airsprung Furniture Group, Caffyns, Electrocomponents, Anglo United, Hambros, Johnson Mathey, CE Heath, Lyons Irish Holdings, Mansfield Brewery, Meyer International, Northern Foods, Sanderson Electronics, Racal Electronics.
Interims: Blick, Greencore, Daily Mail &amp; General Trust.
Australia... 2.2654  2.2698 2.15 dollars Austria... 17.3147 
17.3701 16.83 schillings Belgium... 50.56  50.72 49.29 francs Canada... 1.9466  1.9517 1.884 dollars Cyprus...
N.A. 0.713 pounds Denmark... 9.4066  9.4516 9.21 kroner France... 8.2829  8.3062 8.03 francs Germany... 2.4620  2.4668 2.40 marks Greece... 334.37  335.28 323 drachmae Holland... 2.7611  2.7683 2.69 guilders Ireland... 1.0075  1.0147 0.98 punts Italy... 2232.68 
2251.32 2181 lire Japan... 161.27  162.09 161 yen N Zealand... 2.8370  2.8436 2.69 dollars Norway... 10.4015 
10.4623 10.20 kroner Portugal... 232.98  235.02 227 escudos Spain... 187.83  189.67 184 pesetas Sweden... 10.9527 
11.0584 10.81 kronor Switzerland.
2.2057  2.2125 2.16 francs Turkey...
N.A. 14980 lire USA... 1.5170  1.5198 1.4820 dollars
Cut price managers
UNEMPLOYED managers have joined a pilot scheme hiring their labour for as little as 50 a week to help firms reach ' Investors in People ' status.
The idea is the brainchild of CEWTEC, the training and enterprise council for Chester, Ellesmere Port and Wirral which is now seeking 15 local firms to take up the cut-price offer.
CEWTEC's Chief Executive Alan Moody said: ' We are the first TEC in the country to utilise the skills of jobless executives specifically for Investors in People. '
Wrexham's Newtech Innovation Centre is managing the pilot scheme.
ALLIANCE and Leicester building society has introduced a new range of one-year mortgage discounts based on loan to value.
The discounts include 3pc off the standard loan rate of 7.99pc for a 70pc of value application.
CRUDE oil production by the Organisation of Petroleum Exporting Countries rose 100,000 barrels per day to 24.2 million in May from April.
THE Bank of Scotland has introduced a high interest, instant access Deutsche Mark money market account, based in London, which enables interest to be paid gross to German residents.
Sissons to chair forum on Objective One status
THE debate on ways in which Merseyside might benefit from up to 1bn in EC grants is being opened up to a wider audience in a novel fashion later this month.
The Daily Post, its sister paper the Liverpool Echo, the University of Liverpool and Whitbread have joined forces to stage ' The Question of Merseyside's Future ', a TV-style forum chaired by BBC Question Time presenter Peter Sissons.
Package
If successful, the region's bid for Objective One status within the EC would open the door to a multi-million pound package of regional development grants over the next six years.
The bid was put together by Merseyside Task Force but already concern has been expressed about the lack of consultation with the private sector.
Liverpool Chamber of Commerce and Industry meets today to consider the Task Force draft proposals and the consultation process will develop further in the run-up to the EC decision which is due in the Autumn.
But before then, an invited and representative audience will put their questions to a panel of local business people and opinion formers and air their own views on ' The Question of Merseyside's Future ' at the University of Liverpool on June 24.
And the television cameras will be there to record the forum, manned not by the BBC, but by staff from the University's own TV service.
Bursary
The evening marks the launch of a new bursary to the University of Liverpool by Whitbread, to be awarded this year to the student whose ideas for the most effective use of a possible 1bn for Merseyside are judged to be the best.
The bursary will also be open to students at Liverpool John Moores University and Liverpool Institute of Higher Education.
Peter Sissons
Seton's good health may bring more jobs
By Mark Currie Deputy Business Editor
NORMAN Stoller, chairman of fast-growing Seton Healthcare Group yesterday held out the prospect of more jobs at the company's Merseyside plant after announcing a 41pc leap in pre-tax profits.
The Oldham-based firm, which manufactures a wide range of healthcare products, from swabs to saline solution and a variety of over the counter medicines and treatments, recently spent more than 1m on extending its Bootle pharmaceutical manufacturing facility, which trades under the name Seton Prebbles.
' It has made remarkable progress since it was acquired by Seton in 1986, ' said Mr Stoller.
' Turnover then was around 2.5m and the number of employees around 100.
' With essentially the same workforce, the turnover this time was 8m and the additional facility was completed on time and to budget.
It says much for good project management and the company management, which kept production going while the extension work was going on.
' We have gone ahead with the investment to make the company grow and there is obviously a relationship between the size of turnover and the numbers of people employed. '
Seton's results for the year ending February 28, restated under FRS3 disclosure standards, show the pre-tax figure at 6.1m, compared with 4.3m last year on turnover marginally ahead from 37.2m to 38.6m.
A successful 13.1m rights issue in January this year helped offset the 14.2m spent on acquisitions designed to focus the business on over the counter products which now comprise 25pc of group turnover.
Gearing was reduced by 3pc to 39pc.
Seton is also involved in sports and leisure goods, a recession-hit division which saw sales fall during the year, although operating profit increased by 7pc.
But Mr Stoller says the launch of a health-related range was in hand to take advantage of another fast growing market.
He was optimistic about prospects for the current year.
' Trading in the first quarter of our new financial year has been up to our expectations and is well ahead of the same period last year, ' he said.
The company is recommending a final dividend of 4.1p per share, making a total for the year of 5.8p, up 14pc on last year's payout of 5.1p.
Sir Phil makes come back
By Clive Mills Business Correspondent
SIR Phil Harris, one of the stock market stars of the 1980s, makes a dramatic comeback this month, having increased the value of his stake in his new venture Carpetright from 3m to about 30m.
It is the second fortune he has made from the carpet-retailing business, after being forced out of his Harris Queensway chain nearly five years ago.
Carpetright is to float with a price tag of 113.6m at 148p a share in a move which will enable another major investor, the MFI furniture group, to raise a total of 21.7m which will be used to cut debt.
Some 35pc of Carpetright is for sale, of which 10pc is being reserved for employees and directors.
Sir Phil, who walked away with about 70m from the takeover of Harris Queensway, has built Carpetright into one of Britain's leading carpet retailers after opening his first store in London's Canning Town in 1988.
He has nearly 29pc of the company, but that will be reduced to just under 21pc on flotation.
MFI is selling its entire holding of 20pc at a huge return on its investment of 1m.
However, MFI's business links with the company are being maintained.
Chief executive Derek Hunt said: ' We have a high regard for Carpertright and a good commercial relationship with the company, which we expect to continue. '
The flotation will allow Carpetright, which last month revealed a rise in pre-tax profits for the year to May 1 of 178pc to 7.8m, to raise about 9m for itself.
Carpetright comes to the market with no borrowings and has financed the development of 116 stores from its own resources.
The aim is 200 shops, with between 20 and 25 opening each year.
Investors have until 10am on Wednesday June 16 to get their application forms in.
The basis of allocation will be announced on June 22.
Dealing in the company's shares begins the following day.
Wennington Rd factory sited in perfect position
By William Leece Daily Post Staff
ONE of the most attractively sited factories in Merseyside is being offered for lease or outright sale in Southport.
The Carnaud Metal Box plant in Wennington Road on the edge of the town was built only six years ago and stands in a landscaped site of some four acres.
The building was purpose designed for making plastic drums and as consequence has fire prevention facilities to a particularly high standard.
The main production warehouse area runs to 54,400 sq ft with an eaves height of over 20 feet offering a clear span of 120 feet.
Adjacent is a two storey office block offering 8,700 sq ft of high quality space with a mix of private and general offices, boardroom and canteen seating 60.
Other workshops and storage areas run to nearly 8,500 sq ft.
Peter Rice at agents Richard Ellis/Hepper Robinson in Liverpool said: ' This virtually new production facility is one of the most up to date in the northwest and will have special appeal to manufacturers requiring sprinklers and the other fire safety features.
' We therefore expect widespread interest from a variety of types of companies looking to relocate in a town with the high quality of life Southport has to offer particularly to the golf enthusiast. '
Carnaud Metal Box is looking for offers of around 1,000,000 for the factory and its surrounding offices.
Modern
In Bootle Richard Ellis/Hepper Robinson is offering a modern single storey building of 11,900 sq ft in Brasenose Road.
Originally built for food manufacture it incorporates a number of free standing cold stores which can be removed if required.
The office space runs to just under 2,200 sq ft while the whole site comprises half an acre and is fenced off.
The property is on a 99 year lease from 1977 with 10 year reviews.
Exact details of the prices being asked are available from the agents.
The Carroll Group's 3m refurbishment of Martin's Building in Water Street, Liverpool, has secured its first major letting.
Chartered accountants Touche Ross have taken the whole of the 12,000 sq ft fourth floor and is planning to move in later this summer.
Agents Mathews and Goodman are looking for rents of around 10 a sq ft for space in Martin's Building as it becomes free for letting with a range of suites up to 14,000 sq ft being available.
Martin's Building was originally built in 1932 as head office of Martin's Bank becoming Barclay's local head office following its take over of Martins in 1969.
Barclay's has now moved to al purpose built new regional headquarters at One Moorfields selling Martin's Building to Carroll and leasing back the ground floor banking hall.
Martins Building new home of Touche Ross
Marston buck trend
REGIONAL brewer Marston Thompson &amp; Evershed yesterday bucked the national trend by announcing increased beer sales last year.
The Burton-on-Trent based company, which has a large estate in Wales and the border counties, pushed volumes ahead by 3pc in the face of a national decline of 2pc.
And the extension of reciprocal trading agreements with other brewers, together with extensive marketing, had the effect of producing a near 40pc growth in volumes of Marstons' own brands, which include Pedigree, Low C and Owd Roger.
Upturn
Chairman Michael Hurdle said the last few months of the year to March 27 had provided some evidence of an upturn in consumer confidence and helped increase operating profits by 10.2pc to 22.5m from 20.4m last time.
Turnover was up 10.1pc to 127.7m compared with 116m in 1991.
But the pre-tax figure of 20.1m was hit by exceptional charges of nearly 1.5m, two-thirds of which was earmarked for an estimated 2.5m of bad debts arising from the difficult trading conditions.
For the fifth successive year, the inns and taverns division reported profits growth of more than 30pc, despite capital investment of some 12m on acquisitions and refurbishment.
The board has recommended a final dividend of 3.95p per share, making a total for the year of 5.4p, a 10pc improvement on 1991.
BAD debt provisions and one-off restructuring costs cut annual profits at Nationwide Building Society by 8.6%.
Britain's second largest building society made 184.6m in the year to April 4, down from 201.9m in the previous 12 months.
Bad debt losses jumped 40pc to 329.3m from 235.9m, including 285.0m on domestic mortgages.
Fruits of his labour
Broome admires the grapes of his vineyard, the first crop to be grown commercially in Chester for 20 years.
CLIFF BRETT The power game failed for one of Cheshire's most ambitious entrepreneurs.
So John Broome is switching on to the green, green grass of home.
To Battersea and back
THE sky is no limit for John Broome so an international airport holds few fears.
He built Britain's biggest theme park, bought the world's largest listed building and has this week been shouldering in on one of Manchester Airport's more unusual records.
Splashing out 250,000 on grass cutting equipment for his luxury rural playground called Carden Park, he surpassed his supplier's largest contract Ringway.
Broome will tell you the grass is greener in Cheshire, especially his four-acre lawn the finest manicured games lawn in the world.
It is mowed by one man walking up and down for 54 green miles.
Carden Park is proof that 49 year-old Broome is not a man of compromises, though it is not his greatest project.
After purchasing Sir Gilbert Scott's derelict Battersea Power Station, he scheduled a 2.30pm opening for May 21, 1990.
He told the then Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher not to be late as she would miss it.
But the Battersea dream died.
Structural faults sent budgeted costs soaring, work on transforming it into a leisure empire stopped and its 100m debts were taken over by the Hong Kong brothers in February.
Next month, the first 15m phase of Carden Park, which Broome acquired as sole proprietor in 1988, will be opened.
Broome is put to the test again and he can not afford failure twice.
His first business break was marriage.
He entered the world of local government in 1968, when he was elected to Cheshire County Council at the age of 25.
But he left to take on the run-down Staffordshire country house called Alton Towers and made it into a top leisure and theme park.
Within ten years it was turning over 20m at a gross profit margin of 50pc.
Though he dismisses the tag of dreamer, the scale of his plans are on a different planet.
Merseyside has a weary scepticism about grand planning gestures, but Broome's Alton Towers vision makes him impossible to ignore.
He has pumped 20m into reviving historic Carden, on the outskirts of Chester, from 100 years of neglect.
Carden Park will boast a host of out-door pursuits.
Around 400 red deer have been introduced to the park and 10 acres of vines planted.
The first crop of grapes to be grown commercially in Chester for 20 years was produced in 1990.
There will be an 87-bed hotel, renovated self-catering cottages and ' shopping village. '
For a 950 membership fee and monthly 95 subscription, all facilities may be used.
Will Broome's claims of a ready-made corporate market on Carden's doorstep will be realised?
Cheshire has experienced its share of failed luxury sporting ventures.
John Lilley's Portal estate, at Tarporley, Chester, crashed into receivership and a plethora golf courses are springing up through farmland diversification projects.
Though Broome has created a niche of his own, disposable incomes remain tight and his claims that his hotel will have 100pc occupancy from day one are questionable.
But a clutch of corporate giants are believed to have expressed interest in corporate membership, though, at a cost of 4,750 and he is reported to have acquired access to the list of 13,000 North West gold card holders.
Coal chief ' regrets' 3,000 more sackings
AROUND 3,000 white-collar jobs at British Coal are set to be axed and more pits could close if the industry does not become more competitive, the corporation's chairman admitted yesterday.
Neil Clarke said he ' deeply regretted ' the loss of managerial and clerical staff but warned cuts had to be made to save what is left of the beleaguered industry.
About half the 6,000 white collar workers are likely to be made redundant in response to the shrinking market for coal.
More than 16,000 mining jobs have been lost since last October when British Coal unveiled its pit-closure programme, leaving a workforce of just 24,000.
Nineteen collieries have closed since then, despite Government intervention.
Mr Clarke revealed the fresh job losses when he addressed the annual conference of the breakaway Union of Democratic Mineworkers in Weymouth, where he faced angry questions from delegates who feel badly let down by the corporation.
Mr Clarke said: ' To bring our support structure into line with our reduced productive capacity and to further improve efficiency, we will have to reduce staff numbers.
' Without this action our management structure will place an unnecessary burden on our collieries. '
Peter Mason, a member of the UDM's national council, told Mr Clarke bluntly: ' The way you are running British Coal there will be no collieries left anywhere in the country. '
Vodafone expects to ring up its one millionth subscriber by the end of March 1994 after another year of spectacular growth.
It added 125,000 subscribers in the current year to March 31 following the introduction of its Low Call service, aimed at domestic customers.
The new service helped the company boost pre-tax profits to 322.5m from 271.76m previously.
Vodafone presently has 838,000 subscribers, swelled by the introduction of Low Call which is aimed at occasional users with its mixture of cheap line rental but high call charges.
Expansion abroad saw Vodafone-linked companies win contracts in Greece, Germany and Australia.
Capital spending this year is expected to hit 300m of which 130m is likely to be overseas.
First shots fired in a ferry firms' war at sea '
By David Greenwood Daily Post Staff
IRISH Sea ferry operators B&amp;I and Stena Sealink are ready to battle it out for passengers this summer.
The opening shots have been fired by Dublin-based B&amp;I with the introduction of the first ' super-ferry ' operation out of the Anglesey port of Holyhead.
And next month the port's owners, Sealink, will hit back by launching their fast Sealynx service.
But yesterday, as B&amp;I showed off its 20,000 tonne vessel, the Isle of Innisfree, to travel agents, local civic leaders and the media, company officials said they were not worried by the opposition's move.
B&amp;I's UK passenger manager, Victor Williams, said it was just the start of the company getting into the ' super-phase mould. '
Quality
' Competition is fierce but we believe we have, in this ferry, a product of the highest quality.
' I feel a ferry of our calibre will win out. '
He said the Isle of Innisfree, capable of carrying 1,800 passengers and 411 cars, was the first of its class to come into Holyhead.
' And we are delighted that we are the ones to bring it here, ' he added.
Mr Williams predicted that everyone would be happy with the service provided on the ship which has been upgraded as part of a 6m investment throughout the line's car ferry fleet.
' Car passengers from all over the country arriving at Holyhead want a relaxed journey to Dublin.
This ferry is the way to do it it just oozes luxury. '
He explained that an innovation on the ship, bought a year ago from a Danish company, was the introduction of a ' club class', ideal for the businessman who wanted to get away from the crowd.
Facilities include phones and fax machines.
There are also new lounges for motorists, service restaurants, a play area, casino and cinemas.
The Isle of Innisfree berthed at Holyhead yesterday
Captain Peter Ferguson and passenger manager Victor Williams on the bridge of the new ' super-ferry '
Bank backs move to foil US bid for plane firm
By Carl Butler Daily Post Staff
A TRADE union bank is supporting the attempt to keep the 125 business jet in British hands at Boughton.
Unit Trust Bank yesterday revealed it is one of the financial institutions backing former British Aerospace executive Richard Hooke in his bid for BAe's Corporate Jet business.
There was another piece of good news yesterday with the announcement that BAe plans to take on apprentices again.
The Corporate Jet business is being sold to American conglomerate Raytheon for 250m.
But Mr Hooke says until the deal is closed he will continue to try to put his bid before BAe's board.
Unity Trust, the trades union and co-operative financial institution, has discussed with Mr Hooke the possibility of an employee stake in the new company through a share ownership plan.
Gordon Beesley, managing director, said: ' The initiative has our support.
The impact on jobs of a sale to a foreign bidder would be highly unfavourable.
' We believe the buy-out team should be allowed to formulate proposals which would keep the control of this company in the UK. '
Mr Beesley said: ' We shall be asking the Government to ensure that BAe supplies the necessary information to the buy-out team to enable a formal offer to be made. '
BAe has announced it wants to recruit apprentices at its Broughton factory for the first time in three years.
The company is looking to hire between 20C30 to work on Airbus wing production.
George Marshall, head of human resources, said: ' We will have an intake of 20C30 first year apprentices in September.
' We still have nearly 200 young people undergoing training on this site. '
BAe made apprentices completing their training redundant a couple of years ago but made every effort to find them alternative jobs.
The move was welcomed by Airbus unions convenor at Broughton Mike Nesbitt.
' We want to keep open the training school and this also helps local colleges. '
