‘It’s a good time to be in business’

Saturday Interview: John McGlynn, founder of Scotland’s largest car park firm has sights on a £100m business empire, writes Douglas Hamilton

The economy? We’re all losing sleep over it

Business Diary:No self-respecting financial journalist these days turns down the opportunity to link the most spurious phenomena to the credit crunch, writes Tim Sharp

Origin Energy blasts BG approach

BG Group's ambitious expansion plans suffered a blow yesterday after Origin Energy, Australia's second largest power retailer, rejected a A$13.7bn (£6.7bn) takeover bid from the UK natural gas producer because it under-valued the company.

Laxey takes over TDG for £203 million

Logistics company TDG has promised it is "business as usual" for its employees despite a £203m takeover led by Isle of Man investment firm Laxey Partners.

Bradford & Bingley shareholders urged to reject rights issue

More than 800,000 private shareholders of Bradford & Bingley were today urged to vote down the lender's £400 million fundraising plans next week.

	Worse to come on UK credit front
	The credit squeeze has tightened its grip on UK households and businesses, and conditions are likely to get even tougher in the months ahead, the Bank of England warned yesterday.

Record oil price sends shudders through global stock markets

The price of black gold surged further into the high country yesterday, setting a new record past $145 a barrel and sending shudders through jittery global financial markets already nervous about the prospect of a global economic slowdown.

Recession fears sparked by slump

The powerful services sector shrank in June at its sharpest rate since the aftermath of the 9/11 terrorist attacks, raising fears in the City that Britain may soon be gripped by recession.

ScS deal unlikely to sit well with shareholders

Shareholders in struggling furniture chain ScS Upholstery are set to be left empty-handed after the group was placed in administration yesterday and its trading arm sold to private equity.

Goals remains in line to net ‘excellent results’

Consumers can still find the money for a weekly kick-about, Glasgow-based Goals Soccer Centres revealed yesterday in a trading update that keeps it on track for “excellent results”.

Eurozone interest rates rise to 4.25%

The European Central Bank, ignoring pleas from leading politicians not to raise the cost of borrowing, bumped up its benchmark interest rate by a quarter of a percentage point to 4.25% in a move to curtail escalating inflation in the 15-nation eurozone.

	Belhaven profits up 16% after revamp
	Operating profits from Greene King’s Scottish Belhaven division soared 16% as it ditched what its chief executive called “West Lothian beer shops” and focused its outlets on an older, more female customer base.

Munro pays £2.9m to director despite hefty pre-tax loss

Munro, the Scottish pharmacy chain sold to Lloyds earlier this year, slid to a £3.5m pre-tax loss in its last year of independence, its accounts filed at Companies House reveal, but paid £2.9m to its highest-paid director.

Wiseman costs rise

Supermarket milk supplier Robert Wiseman Dairies yesterday said soaring fuel and packaging costs had created some of the toughest challenges faced by the firm.

BPI bullish on margins despite double whammy

British Polythene Industries (BPI) is being increasingly battered by the high oil price and a property market slump, it told investors yesterday.

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