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Finance and banking

Business Focus >>

The new manufacturers The new manufacturers

A great British renaissance has been taking place. From Aberdeen to the West Country, the zing is back in manufacturing. It’s about time this spectacular story was told.

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New customers ease confidence crisis

by Catherine Woods - Wednesday, 28th November 2007 -

New customers ease confidence crisis

Interface UK is in the carpet tile game. It’s a profitable business but controller David Handscomb says financial performance is dependent on business confidence.

To mitigate this risk, plans are afoot to broaden the customer base of the £100m group.

“We manufacture carpet tiles, which mainly go to the office sector,” Handscomb says. “We’re trying to broaden that into schools, hospitals and universities. Hotels would also be massive.”

Interface UK is part of the global company's European division. Within the region, Germany is a focus because carpet tiles aren’t used as widely as they are in Britain.

Handscomb says: “What we’re trying to constantly do is broaden our customer base and market. That’s all we can do. The important thing is to make sure the cost base doesn’t grow too much as well.”

The business community is anxiously waiting to see whether confidence will take a hit as a result of the global credit crunch and the Northern Rock fiasco in the UK.

Handscomb says that so far they have had no impact on Interface UK.

BUSINESS NEWS >>

Banks back luxury tea enterprise

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Projecting a rosier future

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What to do if an employee is a BNP member

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Brochures on Saving and investing

BUSINESS COMMENT >>

Real Business’s search for a diarist

By Catherine Woods - November 21, 2008 5:10pm GMT

Do you fancy yourself as a bit of a writer? Would you like the chance to publicly or anonymously share what’s happening in your business with the world wide interweb?

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The Friday funnies are something of a Real Business tradition these days. Check out our hilarious gems from Chuckletown. 

Mandelson backs the Dancing Pig

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Global Entrepreneurship Week begins...

By Matthew Rock - November 17, 2008 9:50am GMT

And, boy, do we need it...

Hold onto your sides: it's the Friday funnies

By Rebecca Burn-Callander - November 14, 2008 3:44pm GMT

Take five and have a little chuckle at the best business humour around.

Business Comment 

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