Top of the pops – the best read stories of this year
THE demise of one of the region’s most recognisable businesses, Carcraft, leads the way in the Top 10 of our 2015 best read articles.
Mirroring the trend of 2014 – where ‘bad news’ stories dominated the best read list, all but three of the 2015 top 10 relate to news about insolvency, job losses and other less positive subjects.
With the North West being such a hot-bed for sporting excellence, it was no surprise to see a sports-related story in the list, but maybe that it is a rugby league article, not one from cricket nor football.
The top 10
Loss-making Carcraft ran out of road (May)
THE failure of Carcraft the Rochdale-based chain of used car supermarkets sent shockwaves across the region. Business advisory firm Grant Thornton handled the administration.
Best companies – Top Employers revealed (March)
PRIVATELY-owned telecoms and IT company Chess was voted the highest-placed North West firm in the Sunday Times 100 Best Companies to Work for 2015 in the 250-3,500 employee sector.
Winding-up petition lodged against Super League club (July)
SUPER League club Salford Red Devils was subject to a winding-up petition after creditors ran out of patience with the club. Konica Minolta lodged the petition against Salford City Reds (2013) but the rugby league club denied there was a problem.
Investor Paul Bell arrested in VAT probe (April)
ISLE of Man-based businessman Paul Bell with stakes in a number of North West companies, including listed property services firm Styles and Wood, was named at the centre of a £21m VAT and money laundering investigation.
Bank Fashion insolvency puts 1,500 jobs at risk (January)
FASHION chain Bank, sold in November by North West retailer JD Sports, became the first retail casualty of 2015. Acquired for an undisclosed sum by turnaround specialist Hilco, three partners from Deloitte in Manchester were appointed as its administrator.
Who’s in the money? Regional rich list revealed (April)
THE personal wealth of the entrepreneurs behind North West discount retailers Home Bargains and B&M, rocketed by more than £500m in the last year, according to The Sunday Times Rich List 2015.
Rescue efforts continue after huge factory blast (July)
A MAJOR rescue operation was launched following a huge explosion was reported at Boden Group’s Wood Treatment Ltd business which processes wood flour at Bosley near Congleton, Cheshire, with four employees unaccounted for.
Error by watchdog blamed as loans firm fails (April)
AN apparent error by the financial services regulator the FCA dealt a mortal blow to Stockport finance firm Cash Finance Direct (Holdings) Ltd, trading as Horizon Finance, which collapsed with 117 job losses.
Tesco reveals regional store closures (January)
SUPERMARKET group Tesco revealed the pending closure of its Homelus store in Chester along with Express format outlets at Heaton Chapel, near Stockport and in Kensington, Liverpool.
Peel unveils Trafford Waters vision (March)
PEEL announced plans for an ambitious £1bn mixed-use development called Trafford Waters on the banks for the Manchester Ship Canal, close to the Trafford Leisure Village and intu Trafford Centre, featuring 3,000 apartments and 875,000sq ft of commercial space and leisure.
