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Sunderland-based electronics manufacturing company Connor Solutions has just announced a very serious expansion plan, following which it will boost its turnover and also create 60 new jobs. According to a news report on this topic, the company is investing £3.6m in a three-year programme to extend its specialist electronic production capabilities at its Rainton Bridge plant.

Following a successful bid for a contract to provide components for the Humber Gateway offshore wind farm, TAG Energy Solutions has increased its direct workforce four fold, a news report reveals. The production of the 16 monopiles and transition pieces for the E.ON development has begun at TAG Energy Solutions’ riverside facility in the North East, in addition to a number of smaller projects, has led to the company expanding its workforce to 130.

Although the economic situation has somewhat improved lately, the truth of the matter is that UK manufacturers still require the government’s support in order to enjoy further growth, a news report reveals. During an event organized by accountancy firm Tait Walker in the Tees Valley area, business leaders revealed the fact that they actually require serious support in order to enjoy superior growth.

Manufacturers across the East Midlands seem to be going through a very positive period right now, given the fact that they’re reporting the highest increase in orders balances than any other region, according to a new survey.

Audley Retirement, a developer specializing in creating retirement villages across the UK, has just manage to secure land purchase and the required permissions in order to build a new luxury resort of this type, featuring 82 new units, in Buckinghamshire.

Supermarket retail chain Aldi has just revealed plans to extend into the Greater Manchester area in the near future, a move that will see up to 400 new jobs being created over the next couple of years, according to a news report on the matter. The company will apparently relocate from its current site at Stakehill Industrial Estate, in Middleton, to a new 441,320 sq ft centre on 35 acres at junction 4 of the M61, near Bolton.

Activity in the services sector seems to have picked up in the three months leading to May 2013, a new survey by CBI suggests. However, we’re not talking about a sector-wide trend, unfortunately, since just the consumer services actually recorded a serious turnaround over the aforementioned time interval, both business and professional services sector actually recording significantly lower growth levels than expected.

Retailer Oak Furniture Land has just opened a new 300,000 sq ft headquarters and distribution centre in Swindon, located in the South Marston area. According to a news report, the retailer, which has increased its staff numbers at its headquarters from 134 to 240 over the last year, employs 650 members of staff across the UK and plans to create an additional 500 jobs over the next three years.

BorgWarner, an important car part manufacturer, has just revealed plans to build a brand-new engineering centre in Bradford supported by a grant from the government’s Regional Growth Fund.

Work on the Camborne-Pool-Redruth link road is set to start in the immediate future, the whole project having a very ambitious role, namely that of helping regenerate the area and driving economic growth, a news report reveals.

Northampton-based Freefoam Plastics, the UK subsidiary of an Irish-owned manufacturer of PVC building products, has recorded a very strong growth over the past few years, and now, it’s announced plans to extend its operations, leading to 40 new jobs being created in the process.

House builder Barratt Developments has expressed its confidence in the bright future of the housing market, with private forward sales climbing past £1bn. According to a news report, since the announcement of the government’s Help to Buy scheme in the recent Budget, Barratt has experienced a boost in levels of consumer interest and a strengthening of sales rates, leading to about 400 reservations to date for the group.