Manufacturing

The state government has appointed Civmec defence general manager Mike Deeks as its new London-based agent general for Western Australia.

Engineering giant CIMIC has reaffirmed its full-year profit guidance after lifting first-quarter profit 7 per cent to $172 million.

Perth-based Andrew Hopkins has led a $508 million buyout of national panel beating business AMA Group, with the deal backed by private equity giant Blackstone.

At a time when debate about a potential outer harbour project south of Perth is building momentum, a look at the history of development in Kwinana’s industrial zone provides an illustration of the impact of government intervention in the state’s economy, for better or worse.

Former defence minister and senator for Western Australia David Johnston has been appointed Australia’s first defence export advocate, after the federal government committed to spend an additional $20 million every year to support the sector.

New vehicle sales in Western Australia registered a slight increase in March compared with the same month last year, while sales for the 12 months to March were up 5.3 per cent on the prior year, according to the latest data from the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries.

John Rothwell remembers some of the most significant deals made in the early days of shipbuilder Austal, in the latest instalment in our series to celebrate Business News' 25th anniversary.

The federal government has signed a $1.2 billion contract extension with a group of defence contractors for maintenance work on eight Anzac-class frigates for the next five years, with BAE Systems and CIMIC's UGL among the major beneficiaries.

Limestone Building Blocks Company has been handed a $65,000 fine after a worker at its Nowergup manufacturing plant was seriously injured when he became trapped in a block-making machine last year.