Mark Beyer

The liquidators of failed engineering contractor Forge Group have gained financial backing to pursue a claim worth about $200 million against Forge’s former major shareholder.

Stan Perron’s vast private business group has reported a solid lift in revenue and profit, with strong returns from land development projects and international equities offsetting write-downs on the Central Park office tower and its iron ore royalties.

Iluka Resources has terminated its long-running takeover discussions with Ireland-based Kenmare Resources, after being advised that Kenmare’s major shareholder would not support the planned acquisition.

SPECIAL REPORT: Newly appointed chief executives in Western Australia are mostly receiving lower salaries than their predecessors, but retaining plenty of upside through incentive schemes, a survey of nearly 40 new CEO pay packages has found.

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.

CBH Group has cut its estimate of Western Australia’s grain harvest for the second time in five weeks, with the farmers’ cooperative now tipping it will handle 12.5 million tonnes in the current se

Rapidly growing online booking company HealthEngine has gained backing from newly established private equity group Go Capital and carsales.com.au founder Greg Roebuck in its latest $5 million capit

This week we discuss shopping centre expansion, the new landscape for city office tenants, iron ore prices  and our major CEO salary review.

Subsidiaries of listed companies Ausdrill and RCR Tomlinson have been ordered to pay more than $450,000 in fines and court costs over two workplace deaths five years ago.

Recently-listed IT company Cirrus Networks has bought Amcom L7 Solutions for a knock-down price of $500,000, four years after current Cirrus directors Andrew Milner and Matthew Sullivan sold the business for $15 million.

Former Atlas Iron managing director Ken Brinsden has joined a budding lithium producer that will pay less than half his old salary, even though the company has a market cap five times that of his old employer.

Kewdale company Goldstar Transport has struck a deal to buy the major assets of MJ & CM West Transport Services, nine months after another Pilbara-focused transport business changed hands.

SPECIAL REPORT: Third-generation family business R Moore & Sons is investing for its long-term future, which is likely to be under new ownership.

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.

Indigenous contracting in the Pilbara is getting more competitive, more complicated and arguably more divisive, as players chase a shrinking pool of work.

Sodexo has been shortlisted with two other companies to manage all of Rio Tinto’s camps and other facilities in the Pilbara, in the same week it has been awarded a contract to run Shell’s Prelude Floating LNG facility.

A consortium of Australian and international investment funds has bought the NSW-based TransGrid "poles and wire" network in a deal worth more than $10 billion.

Perth-based Indigenous Construction Resource Group is poised to become a bigger player in the mining services sector after its chairman, Clinton Wolf, lured NRW Holdings founder and former managing director Jeff McGlinn out of retirement.

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.

Artrage was founded as an alternative arts organisation, yet under chief executive and former 40under40 award winner Marcus Canning, its turnover is heading towards $20 million.

Smart-ticketing company Vix Technology has strengthened its push into the resources sector by acquiring specialist Australian software company Osmotion for an undisclosed sum.

New Rugby WA chairman Tony Howarth is aiming for growth in crowds and membership in the 2016 Western Force season after what he admits have been some challenging times for the game.

Construction company John Holland has been selected as the preferred proponent for stage 1 of the NorthLink WA roads project, which has an overall budget of $1.12 billion.

Norwood Systems and ResApp Health are small tech companies with global potential and, judging by their share price gains this month, investors have latched on to the latter.

Perth company Liquefied Natural Gas has finalised an engineering contract for an LNG plant in the United States that will cost about half as much, per tonne of production, as most of the LNG plants under construction in Australia.

The state government says the shipping capacity of Port Hedland could increase by 16 per cent to 577 million tonnes, opening up the possibility of further growth in iron ore exports through the existing harbour.

The upcoming float of livestock exporter Wellard is set to be the fifth biggest in Western Australia’s history, and will also stretch the market lead of investment bank UBS, according to research by Business News.

Perth technology company Velpic has enjoyed a strong debut on the ASX today, with its shares jumping 188 per cent above the pricing of its recent $4 million capital raising.

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.

Gold miner Beadell Resources has come under new leadership, with the company appointing former Red Back Mining executive Simon Jackson as managing director and chief executive.

Wellard managing director Mauro Balzarini is planning to sell a 60 per cent stake in the livestock export business through an initial public offering (IPO) that will be one of Western Australia’s largest.

Oil and gas producer Santos plans to cut its debt by $3.5 billion through two capital raisings and one asset sale, in an effort to ride out weak oil prices, and has recruited Clough boss Kevin Gallagher as its new chief executive.