Northern Irish bus building company the Wright Group has announced it will supply 334 new vehicles to transport company Arriva in a deal worth £55 million.

The contract will see the Wright Group manufacture 204 double deckers and 130 single deckers, with production beginning this spring and delivery expected later in the year.

The Ballymena-based company said that 184 of the buses would be its Wrightbus Gemini 2 DL integral Double Deck model, and 20 would be the Eclipse Gemini 2 Double Deck buses, adding to Arriva’s existing hybrid fleet in London.

Ohio has emerged as the No.1 state in the US Midwest for advanced energy manufacturing, according to a report published today by the Environmental Law and Policy Center (ELPC).

"Renewable energy is one of the fastest-growing business sectors for job creation" in Ohio, the ELPC report notes, and the increasing demand for wind turbines places it behind only California in terms of job growth.

India is rapidly becoming the world hub for biotechnology research, with the quality of its scientists, doctors and pharmacology researchers regarded as second to none. Newly restructured Life Technologies is ready to give them the tools they need, enabling them to make rapid and meaningful progress in the areas of basic and medical research.

John Adom, managing director of Balfos Ltd, talks to Jayne Alverca about the company’s diverse product and sales offering as a single supply source to some of West Africa’s leading mining and industrial operations.

Since 1995, when the company was incorporated in Ghana, Balfos Ltd has developed and enhanced its sales and service operations to become a single supply point for three of West Africa’s largest mining, industrial and construction countries (Ghana, Guinea and Côte D’Ivoire).

Lindsay Shankland, MD of Manitou, the market leader in rough terrain handling solutions, talks to Jayne Alverca about getting a handle on the heaviest loads in the most awkward places.

It sounds like a young boy’s dream come true: asingle Manitou telescopic handler can lift, dig, load, clean, scoop, tow and carry. But these are not toys for boys. Manitou’s name may be synonymous with versatility, but its range of rough terrain handling equipment is destined for the most demanding applications that industry has to offer.

2011 is a milestone year for Fire Control Systems. Not only is it the 25-year anniversary of the company’s launch, but it also marks the maturation of significant changes in company strategy and structure. Managing director Rodney Dodkins talks to Gay Sutton about migrating from a commercial organisation to a fully fledged corporate entity.

Mozambique has emerged from the hardships of civil war to become a fast-developing economic nation. That growth is hugely dependent on electricity; and this has put pressure on national supplier Electricidade de Moçambique to expand, as Carlos Yum, director of the Corporate Performance unit and Business Development, explains to Andrew Pelis.

In 2010, Brussels saw the launch of the Viage Entertainment Center. Managing director Andrew Webb tells Andrew Pelis how the casino and entertainment venue has quickly established itself as a successful venture and benefactor to the local community.

Brussels has long been held up as a doyen for international business. While that remains the case, a recent splash of glamour has seen entertainment become en vogue with the arrival last year of the Viage Entertainment Center.

Now one of BAT Group’s most modern and strategic plants, the Heidelberg factory in South Africa has undergone a remarkable transformation over the last three years. Bernd Meyer, demand chain general manager for the Southern Africa area, talks to Gay Sutton about how he approached changing an entire company culture.

Global automotive supplier Federal Mogul Corporation today reported an increase in sales and net income for Q4 and the full year 2010.

Federal-Mogul reported Q4 2010 sales of $1.6 billion, up from $1.4 billion in Q4 2009, after growth in all business segments and all markets. OE sales grew by 20 percent in the quarter, and US aftermarket sales by 12 percent. Q4 net income was $45 million or $0.45 per share, better than most analyst estimates.