Mark Beyer

WITH the stock market booming, dozens of Western Australian companies have jumped at the chance to raise capital via a public float.

WINEMAKER Palandri has radically changed its capital raising plans and now wants to list on the London Stock Exchange’s Alternative Investment Market.

THE four WA partners of KPMG Legal are being dispersed across Perth’s legal fraternity as a result of the planned closure of the practice.

ON the eve of signing key contracts for the $1.5 billion Mandurah rail project, the Western Australian Government’s plans have received further criticism.

GOVERNMENT approval processes for building projects were roundly criticised by participants in WA Business News’ engineering forum.

THE shortage of engineers in Western Australia is likely to continue, judging by the commentary at WA Business News’ engineering forum.

In a rare interview, Perth magnate Stan Perron spoke to Mark Beyer about his extensive business interests and future plans.

PROJECT proponents, particularly in the government sector, have been criticised for awarding engineering contracts based on the lowest price rather than taking a ‘whole-of-life’ view.

An engineering forum hosted by WA Business News has revealed a profession facing unprecedented pressures. Mark Beyer reports.

PERTH’S biggest law firms have been shrinking over the past decade while the smaller firms have been growing, leaving some pundits to suggest most law firms will end up looking remarkably similar.

WHO holds the whip hand at Perth’s big law firms these days? Is it the senior partners who know the local clients, or the people in Sydney and Melbourne who set the financial targets?

PERTH transport company Mitchell Corporation is poised for further expansion after securing a $10 million investment from AMP.

THE national integration of Perth’s law firms has been occurring gradually for more than two decades, but has accelerated rapidly over recent years.

FIVE of Western Australia’s largest Snap franchisees have pooled resources to establish a $2 million printing hub in Osborne Park.

A CONSORTIUM of three local engineering companies has beaten its big competitors to win the single largest contract on the expansion of the Varanus Island gas processing plant.

LAST June, Perth investor Barry Patterson surprised the market by staking $10 million to take a controlling stake in struggling office supplies company National 1.

NICHE insurance company St Andrew’s Australia has obtained regulatory approval to operate a new life insurance company.

Ric Stowe’s The Griffin Group agreed early this month to investigate building a pulp mill at Collie but, as Mark Beyer reports, its real agenda is to build its energy division.

THE Water Corporation has completed a renewal of its board, with the appointment of Brian Hewitt and Brendan Hammond as non-executive directors.

WOODCHIP producer WA Plantation Resources is cautiously confident that its three-year struggle to build a new woodchip plant in the south west will finally pass regulatory hurdles

A recent spate of populist attacks on Western Power has obscured attention from the substantive issues facing the electricity utility. Mark Beyer analyses the situation.

PERTH law firm Steinepreis Paganin worked on more Initial Public Offerings last year than any other law firm in the country, a national survey has found.

AT first glance QPSX seems to be just another relic of the dot.com boom.

DEMAND for Western Australian commercial property remained strong throughout 2003 and, despite the tightly held nature of this sector, the year was notable for a number of record-breaking deals,

PATERSONS Securities and Euroz Securities have strengthened their position as the top Western Australian broking firms in equity capital raisings.

2003 was a stellar year for large and innovative business deals in Western Australia. Mark Beyer, Tracey Cook and Noel Dyson detail the year's best.

WHEN Kerbing West director Brian Kennewell enrolled in Curtin Business School’s growth program, he had more than 20 years of business success behind him.

MARKETFORCE emerged as the big winner among those competing to do business with the Western Australian government, signing a $134 million advertising contract.

A SMALL group of Perth-based corporate advisory firms have established a growing niche in equity capital raisings for Western Australian businesses.

THE three remaining directors of financial planning firm Smith Martis Cork & Rajan have been ordered to pay ousted managing director Joseph Martis $737,000 plus interest for his stake in the business.

Dozens of Western Australian small business owners have completed Curtin Business School's growth program. Mark Beyer spoke to two graduates about the lessons they have learned.

WHEN the nominations for the Business Elite survey started to roll in, we thought many people had already switched to holiday mode.