As BAT South Africa’s demand chain general manager Bernd Meyer prepares to hand over the reins to his successor, he talks to Gay Sutton about the transformation that has taken place over the past few years, both culturally and structurally, to improve customer and supply chain performance.

With a new beneficiation plant coming online, Assmang Manganese is preparing to double its production and become one of the biggest manganese mines in Africa, as Jane McCallion reports.

Formed in 1935 and listed on the Johannesburg Stock exchange the following year, Assmang Manganese Limited specialises in the mining of manganese, iron ores and chrome. The company, which is owned jointly by African Rainbow Minerals Limited and Assore Limited, operates mines in the Kalahari manganese field in the Northern Cape province.

Australia’s national or ‘flag’ carrier has just celebrated its 90th birthday: it started as a local outfit in Queensland and is again concentrating on extending its profitable regional business while showing the rest of the world how long-haul services ought to be run.

Canada’s Valeant Pharmaceuticals International has agreed to acquire Australia-based iNova, a private pharmaceutical group.

iNova owns, develops and markets a portfolio of prescription and OTC pharmaceutical products in the Asia-Pacific region and South Africa, including therapeutic weight management brands such as Duromine and OTC brands in the cold and cough market such as Difflam and Duro Tuss.

Centrica, the parent company of British Gas, and Norway’s Statoil have signed a strategic agreement for the supply of 50 billion cubic metres (bcm) of gas to the UK.

The 10-year, NBP-linked gas supply contract begins in 2015 and secures sufficient gas to meet around five per cent of the UK’s total annual demand—enough for 3.5 million homes.

The UK currently imports around 50 per cent of its gas requirements.

Boeing has secured its biggest ever commercial aircraft deal with a 230-plane, $21.7 billion order from Indonesia’s Lion Air.

The airline is ordering 201 737 MAXs and 29 Next-Generation 737-900 ERs (extended range), with the deal also inclusive of purchase rights for an additional 150 airplanes, valued at more than $14 billion if exercised at list prices.

France’s Technip and its joint venture partner Odebrecht Oil & Gas have won a $1 billion contract for the charter and operation of two flexible pipeline installation vessels for Petróleo Brasileiro (Petrobras).

The contract is for a period of five years with the option to extend for a further five years. The twin vessels will be employed principally to install umbilical and flexible flowlines and risers to connect subsea wells to floating production units in waters up to over 2,500 metres deep offshore Brazil.

Bombardier Aerospace has signed a memorandum of understanding with the government of Morocco for the establishment of a manufacturing facility in the North African country.

Bombardier Aerospace intends to invest approximately $200 million in equipment, buildings and start-up costs over the next eight years.

Healthcare products provider Covidien has announced it is to undertake six research and development projects in Ireland, representing an investment of €25 million.

The projects will be carried out in partnership with the company’s facilities in Galway and Athlone, with the support of the Irish government’s investment promotion agency, IDA.

Covidien manufactures, distributes and services a range of product lines across three segments: medical devices, pharmaceuticals and medical supplies.