Mark Beyer

Earthmoving equipment supplier Emeco Holdings Ltd has reported a strong increase in sales and profit for the half-year to December 2006 and predicted that it would achieve its full-year prospectus forecasts despite some difficulties in the business.

Newly appointed Clough managing director John Cooper is planning to sharpen the engineering and construction group’s focus as it seeks to reverse a string of losses.

Private NSW company, Primary Energy Pty Ltd, is pushing ahead at full speed with plans for a $180 million ethanol plant at Rockingham after gaining conditional approval from the Environmental Protection Authority this month.

Iron ore miner Murchison Metals is continuing to pursue the development of a new railway line in the Mid West, despite its plans being affected by the relocation of a $2 billion radio telescope project.

Waste management company Tox Free Solutons Ltd has made its third substantial acquisition in the past year, paying $13 million in cash and shares for privately-owned Kimberley Waste Services.

Perth-based pearl producer Atlantic Ltd has gone into administration after incurrig its third successive annual loss.

Small and mid-sized audit firms will come under increasing pressure to merge or restructure their business after the Australian Securities and Investments Commission adopted a hard-line interpretation of its auditor rotation policy.

Western Australia’s remarkable run of good economic news continued this month with the unemployment rate falling to the lowest level since official records started 30 years ago.

Rio Tinto’s bumper 2006 profit result announced last week may have highlighted the boom in commodity markets, but it also hid a few shockers in its Australian operations.