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Jon Griffin

Jon Griffin

Ice rink set to reopen after £25m revamp

MORE than £25 million is to be pumped into reopening Birmingham's only ice rink in a major leisure project which will create 230 new city centre apartments. Read

Chamber chief kicked off train after row

BIRMINGHAM Chamber of Commerce president Simon Topman was today thrown off a train after being accused of assault in a row over breakfast crumbs. Read

China builds the new Longbridge

THE rebirth of MG Rover after more than a year on the sidelines is gathering impressive pace - halfway around the world in China. Read

Pension protesters in legal challenge

UP to 2,000 Midland workers who lost tens of thousands of pounds in a pensions scandal have served High Court papers to put the Government in the dock. Read

Nanjing set to seal deal for MG tooling

THE sale of tooling to enable Nanjing to produce its first Longbridge model is set for completion within two weeks. Read

Driver given parking ticket as he slept

A BIRMINGHAM restaurant manager was so exhausted he fell asleep in his car at Snow Hill only to be woken by a £60 parking fine slapped on his windscreen. Read

Brum a good bet for gambling HQ

THE newly-formed Gambling Commission is to open its national headquarters in Birmingham next month, creating more than 260 jobs. Read

Heinz axe more jobs to cut costs

HP SAUCE owners Heinz sparked further gloom among its workforce by revealing 2,700 jobs were being shed to cut costs. Read

Nanjing in Longbridge jobs boost

THE Chinese revolution at Longbridge is gathering pace - with up to 400 new recruits set to kick-start the car plant in just four months. Read

MPs urged to fight for city casino

MIDLAND MPs are being urged to campaign to revive the NEC's rejected £1.1 billion super-casino bid. Read

NEC: New plans are bigger than ever

AN "EXCITING" masterplan for the National Exhibition Centre to help stem annual multi-million pound losses is being drawn up. Read

Motor city gears up for World Cup

AS a race, the Germans have always known how to enjoy themselves, as anyone who has ever experienced a night in a Bierkeller will confirm. Read

New £3.3m offices plan unveiled

THE first major office development centred around Birmingham's St Paul's Square for many years is to be launched next month with a £3.3 million project, it was revealed today. Read

New Chamber chief 'will fight for Brum'

CONTROVERSIAL business leader Jerry Blackett was today named as new chief executive of Birmingham Chamber of Commerce and Industry on a salary of £120,000-a-year. Read

Postie fired over pub row

A POSTMAN has been sacked by the Royal Mail after an out-of-hours argument in a pub, it was revealed today. Read

Towers blames DTI for Rover collapse

FORMER MG Rover chairman John Towers has blamed "negative press briefings" by the Government for the final collapse of Longbridge, it has emerged. Read

Green revamp for commuter route

BIRMINGHAM is set to go green - with a 30-mile tree-lined gateway route along the A38 to the National Forest in Staffordshire. Read

Plans for new Chamber HQ hit snag

PLANS for a new £80 million headquarters for Birmingham's biggest business organisation have hit a delay - with no start date in sight. Read

Cadbury go on US spending spree

CADBURY Schweppes today swallowed up the Dr Pepper/Seven Up soft drinks empire and unveiled a $200 million US spending spree. Read

Buyers plan major facelift for hotel

ONE of Birmingham's best known city centre hotels has been sold in a multi-million pound deal - and it is in line for a major facelift. Read

Author Profile

Jon Griffin has been Business Editor of the Birmingham Mail since 1998. He began his career at the Peterborough Evening Telegraph in 1975 then worked from 1978-79 for the Birmingham Evening Mail. He later joined the Coventry Evening Telegraph as a trainee sub-editor then the Wolverhampton Express and Star from 1980 before rejoining the Mail in April 1996.

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