News Articles for Wesfarmers

Strathearn Insurance Brokers has become the second big player in the sector to change hands this year, after US-based Arthur J Gallagher acquired the Perth firm for an estimated $60 million.

A lack of vision from Perth planners of decades past has hamstrung efforts to get the most out of Perth's rail system.

SPECIAL REPORT: The 2015 CEO salary survey has some surprising names near the top of the list while some of the state's best chief executives are unexpectedly low down.

Does stable remuneration at the top of the field indicate the depth of our economic trough has been reached?

Perth technology company Hazer Group wrapped up its first day of trading on the ASX, after completing a $5 million initial public offering.

The state's corporate donors still prefer their gifts to be in cash, while in-kind contributions have fallen away in favour of increased staff volunteering, according to the latest Giving West survey.

SPECIAL REPORT: Home builder Julian Walter and company director Tony Howarth have spoken to Business News about how they are working together on the transition to the next generation at JWH Group.

As one of WA's most influential directors, when Michael Chaney talks, the business community listens.

Wesfarmers chairman Michael Chaney has disagreed with Reserve Bank of Australia Governor Glenn Stevens' view that big companies have not reduced hurdle rates for investment decisions amid falling interest rates, in an address at this morning's Business News Success & Leadership breakfast.

Former corporate lawyer Ian Cochrane has joined the board of Ausdrill as deputy chairman, adding to a suite of board positions on the private companies of some of Perth's wealthiest families.

Woolworths shares have jumped amid speculation two global private equity giants may be considering a joint bid for the retail giant's Big W chain.

Brookfield Property Partners is shifting its focus to new developments in Perth as the final piece of the puzzle is finished at Brookfield Place, with construction complete on the precinct's second office tower.

Wesfarmers will make about 300 national roles redundant, 45 of which are in Western Australia, as part of a restructuring of its industrial and safety division.

Whether or not the Wellard IPO is successful, it demonstrates there is more to WA than just resources.

Aboriginal artists are producing more art than the market is demanding, leading to 40 per cent falls in average incomes between 2007-08 and 2012-13, according to a recent government report.

Wesfarmers' incoming chairman Michael Chaney will inherit challenging conditions in the conglomerate's industrial and resources division, but continued solid earnings from its retail businesses including Coles and Bunnings.

A Perth technology company seeking to disrupt the mining and energy industries has highlighted how rapid changes in the clean energy sector will also disrupt its own plans to scale up its hydrogen and graphite production.

Coles' food and liquor sales growth has eased further as the supermarket price war ramps up with German discounter Aldi's aggressive expansion.

From mining to agriculture, technology and finance, 40under40 award winners have been making news this year.

Gas, tuna, and crayfish might not seem to have a clear connection, but there is a link – and it's one Jeff Kennett thinks might become a worry for local supermarkets and promoters of Australian food exports to Asia.

Leading local businesswomen Sharon Warburton and Vicki Krause have joined the board of the energy provider Western Power, replacing outgoing directors Paul Underwood and Sue Wilson.

It is hard to find a winner in the coal-mining industry these days but some investors were quick to spot a Perth-based winner yesterday in the form of Wesfarmers, which saw the value of its coal assets boosted by a deal in the Hunter Valley of NSW.

A clean energy technology developed at the University of Western Australia with funding from Wesfarmers is the driving force behind Hazer Group, which is looking to secure up to $5 million as it prepares to list on the Australian Securities Exchange later this year.

Top Western Australian publicly listed companies with fewer women on boards than the national average may get the boost they need following the launch of a new club.

Woodside Petroleum's ambitious play for Oil Search is a rare example of a Perth-based company being the bidder in a big takeover. Click through to see Business News' listing and analysis of $1 billion-plus M&A deals in WA over the past 20 years.

Woodside Petroleum has spent the past 60 years focused on the development of its own projects in Australia, but in the space of one year, two major takeover deals collectively worth $15 billion look set to reshape the Perth-based energy giant.

Western Australia's top 10 largest private sector employers employ more than 103,200 people between them, about 2,000 fewer than last year, according to BNiQ research.

SPECIAL REPORT: It has been a tough year for job seekers in WA, but some new sectors have emerged to keep the state's employment levels at record highs.

The new owners of Quadrant Energy have spoken to Business News about how the $2.7 billion acquisition came together and their plans for the oil and gas producer.

Mining giant Rio Tinto appears to have put the kibosh on speculation it will anchor a major new commercial office tower at Elizabeth Quay, extending its lease at Central Park until 2030.

Wesfarmers has promoted Rob Scott to managing director of a new industrials division created through the combination of its three non-retail operations.

Clarity Communications has appointed Kate Gibson as Account Manager to assist some of its major clients including Wesfarmers, Pindan and Enirgi Group.

Construction is nearing completion on the $800 million Yara International-led explosives plant on the Burrup Peninsula.

Now the boom is over, keeping costs low and margins tight is necessary for survival.

With a record run of construction coming to a close, commercial developers are facing an uncertain few years in Perth's CBD. Click through to find the special report, which also looks at Perth's biggest landlords, place making, suburban office markets and a green technology company.

It has been a tough year for WA's once-vaunted resources stocks, as our annual TSR survey reveals. Click through to see more on our Shareholder Returns feature.

A group of determined local business people have come together for the first time in Perth's history to create a museum dedicated to the city's past and present.

WA business is well positioned to bring forward a new era of research and development in technology, but hurdles remain.

Brookfield Property Partners has confirmed speculation that Wesfarmers will leave its home of 30 years on The Esplanade for a new headquarters at the second tower at Brookfield Place.

The sharks are circling Woolworths, but the size of the business would require suitors to make a significant investment – in cash and time.