World capital in 20 years
The discovery of a quadrillion cubic feet of natural gas 40 miles offshore Ras Laffan in Qatar has propelled the area to declare itself energy capital of the world. John OÔÇÖ Hanlon spoke to Capt. Feisal Saad, manager of Ras Laffan Port, to find out more.
Twenty years ago, northern Qatar was a rocky desert and Ras Laffan a remote promontory jutting out into the Arabian Gulf. What happened next was that gas was discovered in what is now known as the North Field, after which a new port was constructed to ship it round the world.

Top brass
As it moves up the value chain, investment in equipment and training helps Pressure Die Castings exploit the advantages of brass for a demanding customer base, finds Alan Swaby.

A window on the world
Andrew Pelis talks to one market leading manufacturer about the importance of protecting product quality when venturing into new markets, both at home and overseas.

Beyond the brush
Stuart Hunter, managing director of Hamilton Brush, part of the Freeworld Coating Group, talks to Jayne Flannery about the latent potential of the Hamilton brand.

Bearing fruit

Last year, South Africa’s second largest fresh fruit exporter, Colors Fruit, set up the Colors Foundation to channel international investment into improving social and agricultural sustainability across its supply base and the greater South African fruit industry. David Farrell, group director for sustainable business at Colors Fruit, talks to Gay Sutton about the business, ethical and agricultural reasoning behind the move.

A bright horizon
To offer a quality product, you have to investÔÇöand top of the list should be ensuring you have a workforce with the right skills, as Andrew Pelis finds out from Magdalena Jakubowska.
While most of the business world has endured arduous times during the recent economic slump, Poland has remained relatively buoyant. One of the bright beacons in PolandÔÇÖs growing economy has been Biaglass, a name that has stamped Polish quality on glass lighting around the world.

The heart of steel
AssmangÔÇÖs properties are in the Kalahari manganese field in South AfricaÔÇÖs Northern Cape Province, which contains some 80 per cent of the world's known high-grade manganese ore reserves, vital to the worldÔÇÖs steel industry. John OÔÇÖHanlon reports on major recent and projected investment at one of AfricaÔÇÖs largest manganese mines.

US mining company Peabody Energy has submitted an unsolicited $3 billion bid for Australia's Macarthur Coal.