Chance to make Latin ties

OLDHAM companies looking for business opportunities in South America can take part in a joint trade mission to Argentina and Chile.

UK Trade and Investment North West, with the support of the Northwest Regional Development Agency, is planning visits to Buenos Aires and Santiago next month.

Argentina is 11 times larger than the UK with a population of 40 million and has a European way of doing business and offers huge opportunities in the advanced engineering sector and the oil and gas businesses.

Chile is widely recognised as the best run economy in South America and is among the least bureaucratic places on the continent in which to do business.

The trade mission takes place from Saturday March 6 to Wednesday March 17. For more information on how to get involved contact Paul Eadie 07850 610954.


Grant for super air con

A regional initiative to fast forward the North-West towards a low-carbon economy has awarded Oldham-based Diodes Zetex Semiconductors Ltd £135,000 to design, manufacture and install state-of-the-art air conditioning at its manufacturing plant in Oldham.

The grant has come from the North-West Regional Development Agency’s carbon challenge fund.

The project is one of a number of green and energy-saving initiatives for the award-winning Zetex Technology Park site at Lansdowne Road, Chadderton.


Pelican’s brief

PELICAN Public Relations has been appointed to promote the Northern Rock Cyclone Challenge, one of Britain’s biggest cycling events.

The event takes place in June, 2011, as part of the Northern Rock Cyclone weekend of riding and racing.

Michael Bennett is the managing director of the Uppermill-based agency. He said: “With an office of keen cyclists it’s fantastic to add another name to our rapidly growing list of cycling and outdoor clients.”


HMRC debt priority

HM Revenue and Customs submitted 43 per cent of all petitions for the past six months to wind-up companies to recover debt, according to research by UHY Hacker Young. Despite the Government’s “sympathetic stance” towards businesses during the recession, HMRC’s priority remains to maximise debt recovery says the Manchester accountancy firm.